


Kinship

by MechBull



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:54:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27066724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: This is, at least on the surface, a kidfic. There is also lots of character and relationship exploration as a result of that. Set several years in the future.
Relationships: Reid Oliver/Luke Snyder
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to LiveJournal on June 19, 2010

“Reid, hurry up! You’re going to miss it!”

“I’m right here,” Reid grumbled as he returned to the living room. “And no, I won’t. They drag these stupid things out for eons.”

About a dozen people shushed him, their eyes glued to the TV screen. Reid stepped over a sound-asleep Jacob (wishing he could join him in that state, because the Oscars were boring as hell) and sat down in his spot next to Luke.

“Oh, look. There he is!” Lily exclaimed.

“Where? Where?” Katie asked.

“Bottom right corner of the screen.”

“Oh, there he is!”

“Cal looks hot in that tux,” Reid observed. Luke turned to stare at him, and Reid shrugged. “He does.”

“He’s an actor,” Luke said, clipping his consonants. “They all have stylists and stuff. You’ve seen him looking like a normal person.”

“Yeah. And he looks hot then too.”

Luke turned away from Reid, facing the TV with a scowl.

“You’re so cute when you’re jealous.”

“Would you two stop flirting and please pay attention?” Casey asked exasperatedly. “They’re announcing the nominees.”

“I’m feeling all tingly inside,” Reid said dryly. “I don’t know if I can stand it.”

“Reid, darling. Shut up,” Lucinda ordered.

If it had been anyone else, Reid would have kept talking. But Lucinda was his partner-in-crime when it came to dealing with the Snyder-Walsh clan, so he decided to honor her not-so-polite request.

 _And the nominees for Outstanding Short Film_ – Reid barely muffled a snort. The fact that they gave away Oscars for five-minute “films” still amused him – _and Noah Mayer for_ Blind Justice _. The Oscar goes to…_

Reid nearly fell out of his seat when Noah’s name was actually called. The rest of the room exploded in cheers while Reid just stared dumbly at the screen. Seriously? The guy won an Oscar for a rip-off of his own life? (“It’s _loosely_ autobiographical, Reid. Loosely.” “Noah, the villain’s name is Dr. Ollie Sneed.”)

Luke hushed the others excitedly as Noah finally made it to the stage. They listened raptly to Noah’s giddy acceptance speech. He made it through the boring and obligatory list of producers and crew and “The Academy” and then he got to the personal thanks.

 _I need to thank Cal for going through this with me, both as an actor and as a partner. I know it hasn’t been easy – I wasn’t the most fun person to be around a lot of the time. Thank you for helping me hold onto the last shred of sanity. And of course, Ben, the light and joy of our lives. I love you so much. And last, but not least, I have to send my love and thanks out to my friends and family back in Illinois. Lily and Holden, of course, and the whole Snyder family. Luke_ – and there Noah broke off, unable to find the words. He held a hand to his heart for a moment – _I can’t even_ – Noah laughed before continuing – _Reid, even from thousands of miles away, I can_ feel _you rolling your eyes. The truth is, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here today, so, you know, whatever._

Everyone in the room laughed, tears in their eyes, as they watched Noah hold up the award to the applause and then walk off the stage. Reid began to wonder how long he had to be polite before he could make everyone leave their house. Surely they weren’t going to stay for the entire show.

They did, and then some. Casey, the last straggler, finally left shortly before 1:00 AM. Reid crawled into bed with a groan while Luke did his nightly OCD ritual of checking all the locks and making sure the oven was off and turning out all the lights and hooking his cell up to the charger. All that before he even went to the bathroom or brushed his teeth. Finally, finally, Luke slipped into bed next to him, wrapping his arm around Reid’s waist and snuggling close. Reid reached down, resting his palm over Luke’s fingers.

“You going to leave me for him again, now that he’s a big star?”

Reid could feel Luke’s lips against his shoulder as they curled into a grin. “He’s surrounded by hot Hollywood actors. He wouldn’t look twice at me.”

“The correct answer was ‘don’t be ridiculous, Reid. I only have eyes for you.’”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Reid. I only have eyes for you,” Luke repeated, somewhat robotically.

**

The crackle of the radio came far too early for Reid. He moaned, barely listening to the news report as he closed his eyes tighter and pretended his alarm wasn’t going off.

_Witnesses report that the truck ran a red light, striking the other car near the driver-side door at a high speed. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, while the third victim died in the emergency room less than an hour later. Police are continuing to investigate. Again, last night at approximately 12:45 PM –_

The voice stopped abruptly as Luke reached over Reid, shutting off the alarm and then collapsing onto Reid’s chest with a sigh. He nuzzled his head against one pec, while scratching his fingernails lightly over the other one.

“When do you _have_ to be at work?” Luke murmured, barely intelligible.

“Depends on what you had in mind.”

Luke’s only answer was to open his mouth slightly and then flick Reid’s nipple with the tip of his tongue.

“I have some time,” Reid replied, rolling to face Luke.

Even though they had been together for several years now, the sex was still as exciting and passionate as it had always been. They never hit any boring ruts; they never slowed down. There was angry, fighting sex – up against a wall or over the kitchen counter, tugging at each other’s hair and nipping and biting at each other’s skin. There was make-up sex with whispered apologies, Reid’s hands on Luke’s face and Luke staring into Reid’s eyes. There was public sex, the danger of being caught making it all the more exciting. There was athletic sex – Reid had been more than willing to explore any and all of Luke’s fantasies and kinks, making up for the rather vanilla experiences Luke had known in the past, and Luke was more than happy to return the favor. There was funny sex, either from the comedy of errors that sex could sometimes be or from their jokes and conversation during it. There was comfort sex, after a particularly bad operation or a Snyder family emergency or whatever crazy crisis was happening in Oakdale from one day to the next. There was even (and Reid would _never_ admit this out loud) “making-love” sex, hours of pleasuring each other and revealing their emotions and feelings through their actions as well as their soft words.

But if Reid had to choose, really choose, which sex was his favorite, he’d have to go with morning sex. It was all slow kissing and lazy frottage and Luke breathing heavily in his ear as they held each other as close as possible. It never became particularly complicated or active. At most, a finger might go wandering or one of them might become a little more dominant. But usually, it was just the two of them, side-by-side, rocking against each other. Their orgasms would build low and slow, warmth spreading and growing until, with shudders and quiet groans, they would both hit that threshold. It was almost tradition now, dating back to their very first morning together. They had spent that night exploring and learning each other’s bodies. Every once in a while, someone had laughed nervously or inhaled sharply or asked for _more_ in a tone just short of begging. But mostly, they were just so happy to finally have the chance to be together, after everything. And so their night had been long, full of just about everything except sleep. Even still, when they finally did wake up in the morning, neither man had been willing to let the other one leave just yet. They didn’t have anything left in them for something more passionate, so they just came together, reveling in the feel of each other. Reid _loved_ sleepy, slow morning sex.

Today was no exception. Luke kept a hand on the back of Reid’s head, holding him steady and close. Luke's harsh pants were loud in the quiet room, broken only when he sucked on Reid's neck in sloppy kisses. Luke’s other hand slid down to Reid’s lower back and then further, his finger teasing at the cleft of Reid’s ass. Reid groaned, pulling Luke impossibly closer, speeding up the motion of his hips just slightly. He was close; he was _so_ close.

And then the phone rang.

Luke hesitated, his movements faltering.

“No. No, no, no, no, _no_ ,” Reid muttered urgently, forcing Luke to meet his thrusts again. “Let it go to voicemail. Just – ”

“Yeah,” Luke sighed, focusing on Reid again.

The phone thankfully stopped ringing, and the world became just Luke and Reid again. And soon, Luke clutched at Reid tightly, his fingers curling in and pulling at Reid’s hair. Reid felt the contractions, the pulses as warmth and wet spread between their bodies. It was enough to give a delicious slide to Reid’s own movement, and within moments, he was following Luke over the edge.

It took them a while to finally crawl out of bed. About fifteen minutes later, Reid remembered he really did need to go to work, and he pulled himself into a seating position.

“Make me some breakfast, would you?” he asked Luke, patting his ass as he climbed out of bed.

“You sure know how to make a person feel loved and adored.”

“I’m running late because of you. Come on,” Reid called over his shoulder as he headed towards the bathroom.

“Yeah,” Luke yelled after him, snorting. “I totally forced you into it.”

Reid didn’t get very far in the bathroom. He started the shower, letting the water warm up a little as he used the toilet. Just as he stepped out of his boxers and reached for a fresh towel, a commotion in the kitchen startled him. Reid wrapped the towel around his waist and hurried into the other room.

“Luke? Luke!”

The juice was on its side, pouring off the counter onto the broken glass and floor beneath it. The iron skillet was also on the floor, and Luke was crouched low on his knees. His arms were wrapped around his head, and in one hand he held his cell. Reid could just barely hear the electronic person from the voicemail asking him to press a button.

“Luke?” Reid asked again, rushing forward and dropping to his knees next to him. “What is it? What happened?”

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” Luke repeated over and over, the sobs catching in his throat.

“Luke, please,” Reid demanded, grabbing the sides of his face and forcing him to look back at Reid.

Luke swallowed, trying to catch his breath and stop his tears. “It’s Noah,” he finally whispered. “Noah and Cal. They’re dead.”


	2. Chapter 2

Reid hated the 24-hour news channels on a good day. Blowhard talking heads dragging out and exaggerating every tiny detail just to fill airtime. And the vast majority of it wasn’t even news; it was celebrity gossip or something equally inane. And today, Reid _loathed_ 24-hour news channels.

The day had been intense, to say the least. Of course Reid called into work and stayed home with Luke. He got dressed while Luke returned his mother’s call. When he walked back into the kitchen, Luke found his eyes immediately, the sadness on his face overwhelming. He lost his voice and handed the phone over to Reid. Reid only waited until Luke was out of earshot before he tore into Lily for leaving a message, a fucking message. Of course, that had only made Lily start crying again and then Reid had to apologize and comfort her when all he wanted to do was find Luke. Finally he got her off the phone and went in search of him.

He found him in the living room, curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. CNN already had a fucking graphic for it. Irrationally, hysterically, Reid couldn’t help but think that Noah was more famous in death than he had been in life. And _fuck_ , Noah would have been the only one who would have found that funny, and he’s not around for Reid to tell him.

He sat down next to Luke, sneaking a glance over at him before focusing on the TV again. The reporters wouldn’t shut up about the tragedy of it all. The rising-star actor. The up-and-coming director, who had won an Oscar mere hours before. Gay Hollywood Role Models. Together for almost five years. A five-month-old infant. Suddenly gone, just because some idiot in a pick-up tried to drive _and_ text while drunk.

Reid was on phone duty all day. The calls started coming in almost immediately, and Luke wouldn’t answer a single one. Thankfully, everyone simply accepted Reid’s word that Luke was functioning but unwilling to talk. It was only a small lie, because Reid didn’t know if Luke’s state could be considered “functioning.” Lucinda was the only one who wouldn’t take no for an answer, who wouldn’t agree to wait and give it a few days. After Reid had argued with her for nearly ten minutes, Luke had just put a hand out and waited for Reid to put the phone in his grasp.

Shortly after that (very brief) conversation, the phone simply stopped ringing. Word must have spread, and all of Luke’s family and friends were holding back. Which was probably a good thing, because around 3:00, the news got a hold of pictures of the accident and the completely demolished car.

It was at that moment that Luke broke again. He whispered _oh God_ , pulling his feet up onto the couch and wrapping his arms around his knees. Pressing his forehead against the denim of his jeans, Luke started to sob brokenly. Reid grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Then he moved closer to Luke, wrapping him up in his arms and pulling him close. Luke turned his face to Reid’s chest, and Reid could feel the tears seep through the fabric of his shirt. Luke reached out, clutching rhythmically at Reid’s sleeve, wrinkling the material between his fingers. It was only then that Reid allowed himself to mourn too.

**

_Luke stopped abruptly when he walked into Java. Then he pasted a wary smile on his face and walked over to the table in the corner._

_“I’m not sure I even want to imagine what devious plot you four are meeting here to discuss,” he said, only half-jokingly._

_His grandmothers, Katie, and Kim Hughes all turned to look at him, innocent expressions on their faces. Luke narrowed his eyes suspiciously._

_“Hello, darling,” Lucinda said imperiously. “Don’t be silly. What makes you think we’re plotting anything?”_

_“Uh, because I know you.”_

_Emma stepped in, distracting Luke with a grandmotherly pat to his arm. “How are you, dear? Your mother says you’ve been working a lot lately.”_

_Luke shrugged. “I’m fine,” he said, trying not to feel unnerved by the subsequent look between Katie and Kim. He was about to continue talking when the door to Java opened. He glanced up and then felt the air rush out of his body._

_Reid walked in. It had been just over two weeks since Luke had seen him, since he had made Reid’s decision for him. Reid looked good. Overworked, but good, and Luke couldn’t help but stare at him as subtly as he could (which was not very subtly at all). Reid met his eyes, and both men immediately looked away from each other. Luke cleared his throat, focusing on the women in front of him again._

_“Well, I gotta go. I’m meeting Noah.”_

_There was a long pause. Finally, Katie voiced the obvious. “For people who are broken up, you two spend a lot of time together.”_

_Luke shrugged. “It’s kind of like a divorce, you know? We really want to stay friends, after everything. Plus, we’re trying to think of the kids.”_

_“Who are the kids in this situation?” Lucinda asked with an amused smile._

_“Faith, Natalie, Ethan. Casey.”_

_The women laughed, and Luke tapped once on the table in goodbye. Unfortunately, his timing was all off, and he and Reid arrived at the door at the same time. They nodded uncomfortably at each other, and then Reid pretended to fiddle with his drink as he let Luke leave the shop first._

_Lucinda waited a few beats after they left before turning back to her companions. “OK, we’re all set? Everyone knows what they’re doing?”_

_Kim nodded determinedly. “I deal with Bob.”_

_“I handle Reid,” Katie added._

_“I grandmother Luke within an inch of his life,” Emma piped up._

_“And I investigate this Invicta Health Corporation,” Lucinda concluded._

**

Luke cried for nearly fifteen minutes before he finally started to calm down. Reid could feel the tension leaving his body as Luke became more and more physically and emotionally exhausted. He started to murmur softly in Luke’s ear, sounds of love and reassurance and comfort. He kissed Luke’s temple, running his palm back and forth between Luke’s shoulder blades.

“I just need to get through today,” Luke finally said, the first sentence he had managed in quite some time. “Just today.”

“Mm-hmmm,” Reid agreed.

Luke sighed loudly, then sniffed. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Reid replied quietly.

“I feel like I can’t – my brain is just so, so full. And so empty at the same time, and I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t have to do anything.”

Luke sat up suddenly, with renewed if single-minded determination. “That’s not true. I have to find out about Ben. We need to make sure – we need to make sure someone is taking care of him, and – ”

“Luke, it’s OK,” Reid said, reaching a calming hand out. “Cal’s mother is in Fresno. I’m sure she’s already there.”

Luke nodded, breathing shakily, but he didn’t stop flipping through his list of contacts on the phone. Finally, he reached the one he was looking for and selected it.

“You have Cal’s mother’s number?” Reid asked, shocked out of his worry for Luke.

“Of course,” Luke said matter-of-factly.

Reid shook his head. _Of course Luke had her number. Doesn’t everyone have their ex’s partner’s mother’s phone number? They had met the woman three times – at Noah and Cal’s commitment ceremony (a very moony Luke had glanced in Reid's direction several times that day. “No,” Reid had said.), when Ben was born (Luke had cooed over the baby. “No,” Reid had said.), and at the Christening (Luke didn’t even have the chance to hint before Reid said “No means no.”). Three times and that’s it. Luke had this uncanny ability to make every slightly older woman want to be his honorary mother or grandmother._

Luke began talking, he and Anna drowning out each other as they tried to confirm they were both dealing as well as possible. Reid stood up, leaving Luke to it as he went to pull something together for dinner. They had both gone the whole day without any food, and it was time someone started thinking about the practical things.

He was in the middle of making a couple sandwiches when Luke walked into the kitchen.

“Can you take off a few days?” Luke asked softly.

“Yes,” Reid said simply.

“We should go out there. Help with the funeral arrangements. And figure out what to do with Ben.”

Reid furrowed his brow and finally turned to face Luke. “What do you mean?”

Luke tilted his head in confused surprise.

“Reid, we’re his godparents.”


	3. Chapter 3

Neither man slept that night, although they both tried to pretend otherwise to spare each other worry. The pretense was pointless, however; they had been together for so many years, they knew exactly how the other one breathed while asleep. And Luke was basically lying right on top of Reid anyway. Finally, Luke just sighed and began to speak quietly.

“You know…I mean. I – ”

Reid lifted a hand and traced his fingers along Luke’s back, trying to be patient as Luke searched for the words he wanted.

“It isn’t because I am…I _was_ still in love with him. That’s not why I’m so – ”

“Don’t even start,” Reid murmured.

“No, because I know you, and I know you can sometimes get stuck back then, when everything was so messed up, and forget that I chose you.”

“Luke,” Reid said firmly. “Your best friend and the first man you ever loved died today. Horribly. _Please_ don’t try to explain away your feelings out of some misplaced concern over me being jealous or something. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling, but I don’t – I don’t begrudge you it either.”

Luke was silent for a beat. “OK,” he said softly. “Then, what is it?”

“What is what?”

“Your…you haven’t said more than five words since dinner. You just seem really – I don’t know.”

“It’s nothing,” Reid said, not quite convincingly. “I’m actually sad too, you know. I didn’t…I didn’t hate Noah. I quite liked him. Cal too.”

Even though he couldn’t see Luke’s sad smile, Reid knew it was there. “They were a good couple,” Luke observed.

Reid nodded. “They were,” he agreed. “Not as good as us.”

“Oh, no. Of course not.”

“Try to sleep, OK?”

Luke didn’t answer; he simply nodded in agreement. Reid could feel his breathing eventually slow down and even out. Once he was sure Luke was asleep, Reid opened his eyes again, staring up at the ceiling. He knew he wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon.

**

_“We were just out there a few weeks ago.”_

_“If you don’t want to come, don’t come,” Luke replied testily._

_Reid rolled his eyes as he finished loading the dishwasher. Luke handed him the soap and then turned away, heading out of the kitchen._

_“So those are my options?” Reid called after him and Luke stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Take off work again, and go spend a week with the One that Got Away” (“Oh good God,” Luke muttered.) “and a screaming baby, or have you pissed off at me for the next week and a half?”_

_Luke turned around, taking a deep breath in an attempt to stay calm. “We have the jet, so it’s not like we have to fly commercial. It’ll be a quick trip, just a few days, and you can work on the way. We can even get a hotel room. They’ll have their hands full with the baby anyway.”_

_Reid sighed heavily through his nose. He tapped his fingers against the counter, listening to the dishwasher start to whoosh through its cycle. He hated acting this way. He hated being jealous and he hated fighting and he hated that he knew it was absolutely baseless and still couldn’t stop himself._

_Luke stepped closer. “What’s the problem?” he asked. “What’s the real problem?”_

_Reid looked away, avoiding Luke’s eyes. Luke closed the distance between them and forced Reid to meet his gaze._

_“He named his kid after you,” Reid started, barely above a whisper. “Benjamin_ Luke _. He wants you to be his godfather. I mean,” Reid broke off, laughing somewhere between embarrassment and bitterness, “do Cal and I even need to be there for the ceremony? Because it feels a lot like you two finally getting that happily ever after complete with a perfect little family.”_

 _Luke pursed his lips and shook his head. “This is really bothering you? I didn’t realize you still – I mean, it’s been_ years _, Reid; you_ know _how I…you do know, don’t you?”_

 _Reid nodded, closing his eyes. “It’s stupid. It’s just every once in a while, something happens or someone says something about the Great Luke and Noah Love Story and it feels like, it feels like – I’m_ still _not used to this, Luke. Loving someone as much as I love you, and dealing with all the relationship crap that goes with that. You’d think I’d be used to that by now.”_

 _Luke leaned forward, kissing Reid lightly on the lips. “I’d get annoyed that you aren’t, except God help me, I find it sexy when you get jealous and possessive. You know I’m not going anywhere, though, right? I don’t want him._ I want you. _”_

_Reid nodded. “I know. I’m being an idiot.”_

_“Yes, you are.”_

_“I wasn’t expecting him to name the kid after you. It was a bit of a sucker punch for me.”_

_“I get it,” Luke said understandingly. “And by the way, he doesn’t want me to be the godfather.”_

_Reid furrowed his brow. “What? I thought…then why are we going out there?”_

_“Because they want us to be the godfathers. You and me.”_

_Reid tilted his head questioningly. “Both of us?”_

_“Yes,” Luke confirmed._

_“What do godparents have to_ do _?” Reid asked warily._

_Luke burst into laughter. “We spoil him.”_

_“That’s it?”_

_“Well, technically, we’re supposed to nurture his religious faith. And also we step in if something happens to Noah and Cal.” Luke laughed at the expression on Reid’s face. “Don’t worry. It’s just a nod to friendship. If anything happened, Anna would take him. And nothing’s going to happen anyway.”_

**

Anna, Ben in tow, met them at the airport when the plane landed and insisted they stay at the house with her. Reid was too exhausted to argue, and he trailed after Luke and Anna as they walked out to the parking lot. The funeral was in three days. Luke already planned to send the jet back for Lily and Holden and anyone else from Oakdale who was able to come out for it. In the meantime, they’d continue to make arrangements, and go through Noah and Cal’s stuff, and deal with all the legal mess.

But for now, Reid just wanted to sleep. When they arrived at the house, Luke immediately hesitated, staring at the mail on the counter and the pictures on the wall and the little touches of home. Reid put his hand on Luke’s back, guiding him through to the guest room.

“Think about it tomorrow,” he advised, closing the door to the room behind him.

Luke shook his head as he began to undress. “It’s just so surreal. And these crazy and random memories keep flashing through my head. One minute, I’ll be thinking of something that happened long before I met you, and then all of a sudden, I can see – as vivid as if it just happened – the first time Noah punched you, and then two seconds later, the only thing I can think about is the time we were first out here, right after Noah and Cal moved in and you were trying for sex and I wouldn’t do it because we were in someone else’s house and then we did anyway and it turns out they heard us.”

Reid watched Luke cautiously as he talked, his voice rising higher and growing faster with each memory he described. Reid stepped closer, placing his hands around Luke’s biceps and rubbing slowly up and down. Luke exhaled shakily.

“You OK?” Reid asked.

Luke leaned forward to rest his forehead against Reid’s. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Yeah.”

Reid sighed, then tilted his head slightly to give Luke a quick peck. He pulled away, and Luke followed him, brushing his lips over Reid’s again. Reid responded, kissing him lightly, and Luke smoothed his hands over Reid’s chest, up and over his shoulders.

Reid pulled away again. “Luke, come on.”

“Please,” Luke whispered. “I need you. I need this. I – I need you to shut my brain up.”

Reid raised a hand to Luke’s neck, cupping the side of his jaw. “OK,” he said softly. “OK, just – ”

And then he kissed Luke again, guiding him to the bed. It was slow and loving, all quiet gasps and moans as Reid’s hands moved over Luke’s body. Luke kept his arms wrapped tightly around Reid’s neck, staring at him through the dim city light coming in from the windows, his eyes closing with every drawn-out thrust. Reid propped himself on his elbows, burying his hands in Luke’s hair, as he got close to the edge. He found Luke’s eyes, read the love in them, tried to convey his own love back. And then Luke’s eyes rolled back as he started to come. Reid dropped low, kissing him thoroughly and swallowing the groans of Luke’s orgasm as well as his own.

**

The three of them were alternating responsibilities. At the moment, Luke had taken Ben to go get lunch for everyone, Anna was going through papers in the office, and Reid was sorting clothes into “donate” and “toss” piles. At the sound of the front door opening, Reid walked out of the bedroom, focused solely on the sandwich coming to him.

Luke put Ben, sleeping soundly in his car seat, down on the coffee table and handed the take-out bag to Reid.

“I’ll get some plates and stuff,” he said.

“Oh, Luke,” Anna said as she came out of the office. “Perfect timing.”

“Getting hungry?” Luke asked with a smile.

“No, it’s not that.” She held up a file folder. “I found the wills.”


	4. Chapter 4

After putting Ben in his crib and getting their lunches ready, Luke and Reid sat cross-legged on the floor by the coffee table, while Anna sat on the couch, flipping through the documents with one hand.

“Nothing surprising,” she said. “Instructions for selling off the house and paying off any debt. All remaining assets go into a trust for Ben. A few personal items they want people to have. Otherwise…oh, here is where they have you two listed as Ben’s guardians.”

Reid started coughing and choking. Luke glanced at him and then back at Anna.

“What?” Reid finally managed to say.

Anna looked up at him curiously. “Well, you are his godparents. What were you expecting?”

Reid shook his head. “Yes, but – you’re his grandmother. Surely – ”

“Anna, will you excuse us for a moment? Reid, a word,” Luke said firmly, standing up and walking down the hall towards the guest room. Reid stared after him, looked at Anna briefly, and then followed him.

Luke was pacing the room by the time Reid walked inside. He pushed at the door, not quite closing it.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked.

“What do you mean?”

“It sounds like you’re trying to get out of taking Ben.”

“I’m not trying to get out of anything,” Reid said, surprised. “I never agreed to this in the first place.”

“What do you think godparent means?”

Reid gestured wildly. “You said it was a nod! A formality! You said that’s what grandmothers are for.”

“Reid, this is their last wish.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I sure as hell am. Ben needs a home; we can give him one.”

Reid exhaled slowly, walking across the room, then turning to face Luke again. “First of all, I kind of like our lives how they are right now. And oh yeah, we don’t know _anything_ about raising kids.”

“I have three younger siblings. You practically were Jacob’s stepfather until we moved in together. We have a lot more experience than most people do.”

“Luke, please. Please. You’re not thinking clearly right now. You’re grieving. You can’t make a decision that will affect the rest of our lives - and his - right now.”

“What? Are we supposed to wait until a better time? Put Ben in foster care or something until we’re ready?”

“No! His grandmother is right out there. She’s spent more time with him than we have. He knows her, and she knows what she’s doing.”

Luke shook his head, turning away from Reid and leaning against the dresser. There was a knock on the door, and both men whirled to face it. Anna peeked around the corner.

“May I come in?”

She entered the room without waiting for an answer, walking over and sitting on the bed. “I take it that was a surprise to you?”

Luke glanced at Reid. “I think we just…didn’t really make that connection, you know?” he said noncommittally. “It’s a lot to deal with, on top of everything.”

Reid stepped closer and sat down next to Anna. “I think it’s important that Ben stay with family,” he said, ignoring Luke’s huff.

Anna nodded. “I agree,” she said. “But…family is what you make it. You two were family to them as much as I was. I know this is what they wanted and had planned; we talked about it. I figured you knew too.”

Reid looked up at Luke, who stared back at him significantly.

“I would hate to have Ben so far away,” Anna continued. “He’s my only grandchild, and I want to be a part of his life.”

Luke stepped forward and knelt in front of her, clasping his hands over hers. “We would never keep him away from you,” he vowed.

Anna squeezed his hands in response. “I know, darling. But the truth is, if you two aren’t able to take him, we’ll have to decide the best route to take. I simply can’t take care of him. Maybe for a few months or a year, but nothing long-term.”

“If you’re concerned about money,” Reid began.

She shook her head. “No. There’s something you should know. I have MS.”

Luke looked back and forth between the other two. “That’s a – a nerve thing, right?”

“Sort of,” Reid said. “The immune system attacks and damages the myelin – the sheaths around neurons in the brain and spinal cord, and nerve cells can’t communicate anymore. Relapsing-remitting or progressive?”

“Relapsing-remitting, but it’s been over ten years. It could decline into progressive any time.”

“Anna, I’m really sorry to hear that,” Luke said sincerely.

“Thank you. But, you see then, there’s no one else. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable with it; it's just me in the house, and if I were to have an attack…”

Luke exhaled slowly and looked over at Reid, who was staring straight ahead. Finally, Reid quietly excused himself and walked out of the room. A few moments later, the faint sound of the front door closing reached the other two. Luke gave Anna a grim smile.

**

Luke didn’t see Reid again until almost midnight. He considered feigning sleep, if for no other reason than he didn’t want to start a fight that late at night. But they couldn’t put off this conversation forever, and so he waited while Reid climbed carefully into the bed. Then he rolled over to face Reid.

“Where were you?”

Reid stiffened in surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I was up. Where were you?”

“I went for a walk.”

Luke nodded, sighing heavily. “And? Any conclusions?”

Reid laughed humorlessly. “No.”

“Is it because he’s Noah’s?”

“No,” Reid said sincerely.

They were both silent for a long while. “I’m not trying to be difficult. I don’t know how you can be so calm about this. It doesn’t seem like it even fazed you.”

Luke shrugged. “I grew up in Oakdale. Nothing truly fazes me.”

Reid snorted. “Good point. And you’re just…you’re ready for this?”

“No,” Luke replied honestly. “I’m terrified as hell, but it feels like the right thing to do. And – I want this. I want a family with you.”

“I don’t know how to be a father,” Reid said softly. “My dad was…distant. I didn’t have a role model like Holden. Or even a model of what _not_ to do, like Damian.”

“We can figure it out together,” Luke offered.

There was a long pause. “I don’t know if I want to,” Reid whispered. “This is not how I’ve ever pictured my life. This is not something I was – missing or anything.”

Luke swallowed thickly. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Is this a dealbreaker?”

Luke rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe.”


	5. Chapter 5

The subject of Ben’s future wasn’t brought up again for the next couple days. At least not vocally. But it soon became clear that Anna and Luke took on baby care duties, while Reid focused on the house-cleaning and other practicalities. Tensions grew thicker every day, and Anna was relieved when the other Oakdale residents finally arrived.

The funeral itself and the subsequent wake went as smoothly as these things could go, with memories and tears and even laughter. People started to disperse as evening fell, and eventually Luke, Reid, Anna, Ben, Lily and Holden returned to the house. They spread out on the couches and chairs in the living room, talking quietly as they unwound from the day. But soon, Lily began to yawn.

“Oh my,” she said. “I think it’s time for bed.”

Luke smiled at his mother, then stood. “Come on, I’ll help you guys get the bed made up.”

Reid watched silently as the three Snyders left the room. Shortly, however, his attention was claimed by the quietly fussing baby in Anna’s arms. He watched as she shushed Ben, jiggling him lightly and rubbing his back.

Looking up, Anna caught Reid watching her. She stood, walked over and sat down next to him. Reid’s expression turned wary.

**

“There are extra pillows and blankets in the hall closet if you guys want any,” Luke said as he prepared to leave Lily and Holden alone.

His parents shared a glance and then turned to him again. “Luke, sweetheart, how are you doing?”

“What? I’m fine,” Luke replied. “Well, not fine. It’s been a long couple days. I’m trying to deal with it, though.”

“It’s not just Noah and Cal, though,” Lily observed. “There’s something going on with you and Reid too. We can tell.”

Over her shoulder, Luke could see Holden nodding in agreement. Luke sighed. He turned away briefly, crossing his arms.

“Noah and Cal named us as Ben’s guardians,” he said quickly. “In their will.”

After several beats of silence, he turned to look at his parents. They were staring back at him, expressions unreadable.

“Wow,” Lily said quietly. “I mean, making you godparents is one thing, but I guess I would have thought that…you know, Anna or someone…”

Luke laughed lightly. “That’s what Reid says.”

“He’s against the idea?”

“He says he doesn’t know,” Luke said, shrugging. “I don’t really believe him. I think he knows; he just doesn’t want to upset me.”

“Taking care of a kid is a big responsibility. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Luke stared at Lily in surprise, a small amount of hurt in his eyes. “Yes, Mom. I am. If for no other reason than because he’s Noah’s and he trusted us, he wanted us to be the ones. And also because, I think the three of us would be…good for each other.”

“Maybe you should just think about it more, is all I’m saying.”

“You think we shouldn’t?” Luke asked, his voice rising. “What, that we would be bad parents or something?”

“Luke,” Holden said finally, stepping around Lily and closer to their son. “I think you would be an amazing father. Reid too. If you want to do this, I’ll help you anyway I can. But it is a lifelong commitment, so you need to be sure. And you can’t force Reid into it.”

Luke sighed, looking at his feet as he nodded. “I know.”

**

“How are you doing with all this, kid?” Anna asked.

“ _Kid?_ ”

“Don’t get sidetracked. Answer me.”

Reid exhaled sharply, turning away from her. “I don’t know," he said, shaking his head. "I just don’t know. I go back and forth. You know, I keep trying it out in my head – picturing 3 AM feedings and chickenpox and helping him out with his homework. And sometimes it seems like I’d be OK with that. And sometimes I just want to run away screaming at the mere thought.”

Anna laughed. “You sound like every man I’ve ever met as he faced the prospect of fatherhood.”

Reid’s lips twisted into a slight smile. “I like our lives. I _love_ our lives. We can – we can jump over to Chicago for the weekend or even fly out to New York. We can go out for dinner whenever we want. We hang out together all day on Sundays, just the two of us, no responsibilities. We – ” Reid stopped talking abruptly and cleared his throat.

Anna’s eyebrow raised. “You fuck like bunnies on the kitchen floor.”

Reid turned to stare at her in shock, a blush beginning low on his neck. Anna shrugged.

“I’m a grandmother; I’m not dead.”

“Things would change, for better and for worse, and I’m not sure I want change.”

“Things always change. Things change all the time, even in just little subtle ways.”

Reid tilted his head in recognition of her point. He sighed. “There’s a…a certain way I’ve lived my life, and it works for me. It’s – I wait for the other shoe to drop, you know? I’m brilliant and I’m skilled and I still know that my patients are going to die. I can do everything in my power to make something work, but I can’t be God. So I always keep just, I don’t know, I try to keep myself ready for that failure, that loss, so I can just pack up my feelings and move on. It annoys Luke like crazy, because that spills over. It spills over into our relationship, and part of me has been waiting for him to realize he could do so much better. Part of me is waiting for that one fight, that one mistake, that one accident that signals the end. And I want to be ready, I want to be prepared to deal with that, like I deal with every other failure. If we do this, if we take the kid, that’s like saying – yes, this is it. This is forever, till death do us part, we’re a family. I’m…”

“Scared?”

Reid paused. “Yes.”

Anna was silent for several moments. “I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at one time,” she finally observed.

Reid burst into laughter. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

“There’s nothing else I _can_ say. I could hit you upside the head for being too dumb to realize that you already _are_ a family – you’ve already made that commitment as much as anyone else ever has, ceremony or legal paper be damned. I could wax poetic about the joys of parenting and how they far outweigh the fears and sacrifices. I could tell you that, from what I can tell, you’re a good man and I would be happy and proud to see you raise my grandson. But none of that would matter, because I can’t make this decision for you.”

Reid nodded slowly, turning again to face the center of the room. At that moment, Ben woke up again. Reid could see in his peripheral vision as the baby backed away from Anna’s shoulder, looking up at her through bleary eyes. He squirmed slightly, pushing his little pudgy hands against her chest.

“Of course you wake up now, don’t you? Right when I was about to put you down and go to bed myself? Well, tough, I’m tired, so you’re going to have to hang out with Reid.”

Reid faced her, startled. “What?” he barely had time to ask before he found a baby in his arms.

Anna winked at him and disappeared down the hall. Reid turned to Ben, who was staring back at him, one hand jammed into his mouth and drool dripping around his fingers and wrist. Reid relaxed his stiff arms, adjusting his hold on the baby in his lap.

“Christ,” he muttered.

**

_Reid took a sip of the beer in his hand, trying his best to pretend to care about the conversation going on around him. But, honestly, if he even understood the intricacies of cinematography, he still wouldn’t give a crap about Noah’s movie. It was going to be a long weekend._

_Finally, Cal – beautiful, smart-for-an-actor Cal – seemed to realize it was time to change the subject, and started asking questions about the remodeling Luke had insisted on doing. Luke started talking about how they just needed more space – in the bathroom and in the bedroom, separate offices, more storage for all the junk you accumulate over the years and just can’t live without._

_“We’ve, ah, we’ve decided to remodel too,” Noah said quickly, and Reid narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the tone of his voice. “Well, not so much remodel as redecorate.”_

_“Oh, the living room?”_

_Reid took another sip of his beer as he realized how disgustingly domestic and suburban this conversation was._

_“No, the room we’ve been using as an office. We’re making it a nursery.”_

_Reid choked on his beer as Luke stared at his ex in surprise._

_“You’re adopting?!”_

_Noah shook his head. “Surrogacy, actually. We just found out that our surrogate is pregnant. She’s just into the first trimester, so…”_

_Luke, mouth still open, looked back and forth between Noah and Cal. “That’s amazing!” he finally said._

_The other three looked over at Reid. After a second, Reid realized he needed to respond. So he plastered a smile to his face and said with as much sincerity as he could fake, “Congratulations.”_

**

Ben and Reid continued their impromptu staring contest. Eventually, Ben removed his hand from his mouth and held the slobber-covered fingers out towards Reid. Reid simply sighed; he hated whenever Jacob had felt the need to share whatever was in his mouth, and it wasn’t any cuter with Ben. But those eyes were big and round and pure Noah, and Reid could feel the last ruins of his resolve crumble away.

“So, kid, what do you think? You think you want to grow up in Oakdale, Illinois, because I gotta tell you, I would not wish that on my worst enemy. Or his son.”

Ben gurgled, a smile on his lips as he made a noise resembling a laugh. _Fuck._

“There are certain rules, OK? First of all, keep the middle of the night crying to a minimum, please. Also, no climbing in our bed after a nightmare. Our bed is off-limits. What else? I went through the terrible twos with Jacob, and I am _not_ doing that again. So you can just kiss that particular phase goodbye. Same for teenage rebellion, because I swear if you make me give the ‘as long as you’re living under my roof, mister’ speech, I will never, ever forgive you. None of that ‘you’re not my dad so I don’t have to listen to you’ shit either.”

“If you want to go out for sports,” Reid continued, sighing heavily, “fine. Fine. But you will keep your grades up. And I’m telling you now, I won’t be able to make every single game or concert or whatever. That’s life when you live with a surgeon. Now, Luke will probably coach every single damn thing to make up for it, so I expect you to appreciate that and not get embarrassed about him in front of your friends. Speaking of friends, they can come over, but there will be no keggers. And you should always introduce your girlfriends or boyfriends, but they will not be moving in. Our house is not the second coming of Lily Walsh’s Home for Wayward Teens. You _will_ get out of Oakdale as quickly as humanly possible and actually experience the world. But you are expected to come home and visit too. You know, not for me so much, of course, but Luke would miss you.”

Reid paused, taking in the kid’s wide eyes.

“Think you can live with all that? Oh, and there will be more rules when I think of them, so keep that in mind. You’ll just have to deal.”

Ben rocked forward, pushing against Reid’s chest before eventually turning his head and snuggling up against him.

“You mean it?” a quiet, emotional voice interrupted the silence.

Reid turned his head, seeing Luke standing just inside the room. Reid could only see the blinding grin on his face, but he knew there were tears in his eyes too. Reid flashed him a small smile.

“I guess.”

Luke walked quickly over and sat down next to him. “Not just for me, OK? We have to decide this together. I don’t want you to...we promised each other at the beginning – no ultimatums.”

“I know. It’s not that. I’m still not entirely sure this is the right thing to do, but…apparently, insanity is contagious.”

Luke chuckled quietly. Then he leaned forward and kissed quick pecks all over Reid’s mouth and cheeks and chin.

“Thank you," he said between each one. "Thank you, thank you, thank you.”


	6. Chapter 6

A few days after the funeral, Reid pulled Luke aside. He stared down at the cell phone in his hand, and then took a breath. Luke nodded, suddenly realizing what he was about to tell him.

“You have to go back?”

“A case was just brought in. It’s not an emergency, but the operation should be done as soon as possible. I have a couple other patients I should really check on, in person, too.”

“It’s OK,” Luke said. “We’ve been here for a long time, I know. I’ll call the airport, let them know we’ll be flying out soon.”

“You don’t have to come. If you’re not ready – if you want to stay a few more days.”

Luke paused. “Really?”

“Of course.”

“I did want to help Anna deal with the realtor. And there’s that appointment with the judge for the official adoption. I can probably get the ball rolling on that, and then we can finish up the paperwork in Oakdale.”

“Maybe I should stay.”

“Reid!” Luke said, slightly exasperated.

“No, that’s a lot to worry about. I don’t want you having to deal all by yourself.”

Luke leaned forward, kissing Reid quickly. “I’ll be fine,” he promised. “Go – save lives.”

Hours later, they stood inside the airport terminal, as the pilot made some final flight preparations. Reid glanced around the group, offering the others a small smile. The last several days had been emotionally draining, to say the least, and nobody was quite willing to say goodbye and separate. Not that Reid would ever admit to such emotional weakness, of course. But Luke could read him easily, and he could tell Reid was feeling as hesitant as the rest of them. He met Reid’s eyes and he nodded reassuringly. Reid smiled at him again, wider this time.

“Well,” he said, reaching out to hug Anna. “Take care of yourself. Don’t forget that appointment with Kratsch. His waiting list is longer than mine, and I had to call in a lot of favors. But he’s doing some amazing research on MS these days, so you never know.”

Luke laughed. “I’d just like to point out, once again, that you used your reputation and clout to bump someone up an in-demand doctor’s waiting list.”

“What’s your point?” Reid asked.

Luke shrugged, grinning impishly.

“Shut up,” Reid said, turning back to Anna. “We’ll see you soon.”

“You better,” Anna said, pulling Reid into another hug.

He held her tightly, before whispering quietly, “I am so sorry. I really liked your son.”

She took a deep breath, exhaling as she pulled away from him. Blinking tears from her eyes, Anna squeezed Reid’s arms quickly. Reid nodded at her, then turned to Luke and Ben. He rested one hand softly on the top of Ben’s head.

“OK, kid. I’ll see you soon. Remember what we talked about.”

He glanced at Luke, then quickly averted his eyes. Reid learned a long time ago that if he ever wanted to succeed in doing something difficult, he had to avoid Luke’s kicked-puppy eyes. Looking somewhere between Luke’s chin and ear, Reid leaned forward and kissed Luke on the corner of his mouth. He held his face close next to Luke’s as he began to talk.

“Call me if you need anything,” he murmured. “Come home soon.”

“I will,” Luke promised, equally soft. He laughed quickly, before adding, “ _We_ will.”

Reid lifted a hand, wrapping his warm palm around the back of Luke’s neck, letting his fingers slide into the hairs at the nape. Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead briefly against Luke’s own and sighed. A page over the speaker, requesting that he board, broke the moment. Reid quickly walked away from the others. Just as he slipped through the door, he turned and looked back. Luke was holding Ben out to face him, lifting one pudgy little arm in a mock-wave.

There was his family, Reid thought. And from now on, nothing was going to be the same.

**

_“Hi Katie!”_

_Katie smiled at Luke, who was sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal as he watched the morning news. The boxers and t-shirt, wildly mussed hair and sleepy eyes gave him all the appearance of a high school kid. Or even a child watching cartoons._

_“Good morning,” she said, sweetly sing-song. “How are you?”_

_Luke shrugged, taking another bite of his cereal. “OK. Sleep well?”_

_“Well enough,” Katie replied, walking into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. One thing she loved about having Luke around was that he was an early riser and he made great coffee. “My dreams had this strange soundtrack, though. This bass beat, you know. Boom, boom, boom, boom. Sometimes something that almost sounded like moaning.”_

_“OK, stop it,” Luke said, clearly embarrassed. Katie laughed. “Sorry,” Luke added._

_“Hey, at least someone around here is getting some action.”_

_“Oh, come on! What about you and Chris?”_

_“That is…one step forward and eight giant leaps back.”_

_“Sounds like me and Reid, at the beginning.”_

_“Mm-hmm. Speaking of which, where is Reid?”_

_“Still sleeping,” Luke said with an exaggerated wink._

_“I’m right here,” Reid grumbled._

_“Morning, Sunshine.”_

_“I hate morning people,” Reid muttered, stumbling into the kitchen and pouring himself a giant mug of coffee. He held it up to his face, breathing in the steam slowly._

_“Katie heard us last night. I warned you that if it happened again, I wouldn’t be staying here anymore.”_

_Reid flopped onto the end of the couch next to Luke, dropping his arm around his shoulders casually._

_“Well, I’m not sleeping over at your mommy’s, so you’ll just have to rent a room at the Lakeview the next time you want to tear my clothes off.”_

_Katie smiled, standing up and heading towards her bedroom to get dressed. “Or you two could always get your own place,” she threw over her shoulder._

_Both Luke and Reid scoffed loudly before catching each other’s eye. Their grins faded as they stared at each other. Luke took a breath, feeling his heart rate going at a mile a minute and his stomach start to churn._

_“Maybe we should,” he suggested softly._

_Reid stared back at him, swallowing thickly._

_“You’re serious?” he finally asked._

_“I’m over here all the time,” Luke pointed out. “I may as well be paying rent as it is.”_

_“This is…I’ve never…”_

_Luke reached out, placing a hand on Reid’s chest. He could feel Reid’s heartbeat, its pace matching his own. “Say yes,” he pled quietly. “Please say yes.”_

_“Yes,” Reid whispered._

_Luke wasn’t entirely sure who kissed whom then, but when Katie walked out of her room again a few minutes later, she got an eyeful._

**

Luke was, to put it mildly, exhausted. The last several days had been non-stop activity as he and Anna put the house on the market and met with the lawyers and judges to transfer over temporary custody until the adoption was finalized. But finally, there was nothing more he could do. So he went back to the cemetery one last time, and he said goodbye to Noah and Cal and promised to do his best with Ben. He had one last dinner with Anna, both of them crying over happy memories of the two men they lost, both as a couple and as individuals long before they had met each other. And he packed his suitcase and about a dozen boxes of things for Ben. Then he boarded the plane.

As if that hadn’t been stressful enough, it turned out Ben did not handle plane travel well.

By the time Luke arrived at the house, Ben had finally calmed and was now sleeping soundly. It was late at night – practically morning, and he knew from the brief phone conversations and text messages that Reid had been insanely busy catching up with all the missed work. Luke soon realized that was only half of what Reid had been up to, judging by the mounds of garbage bags and boxes at the corner of the driveway.

Luke opened the front door cautiously, not wanting to wake either Reid or Ben. All his efforts were almost in vain, however, as he fought laughter at the sight of a…well, Luke assumed it was supposed to be a swing of some kind. It didn’t look very structurally sound and judging by the empty beer bottles and instructions strewn on the floor, Reid had eventually just given up. Luke flashed back to the time they attempted to put together a desk chair for the office. _“I am a fucking brain surgeon; I’m smarter than this screwdriver”_ had been the phrase of the day. (Luke’s ultimate response had been _"Well, I’m just fucking a brain surgeon, and these instructions were written by an illiterate asshole."_ )

Luke continued to walk through the house, shaking his head in disbelief and smirking lightly at the baby gates in the hallways and the protective plugs in the sockets and the _library_ of child-rearing books on the kitchen table. And then he stopped abruptly just outside the larger guest room.

The bed had been removed and there was a crib in its place. Luke swallowed. Then he walked further into the room, placing the car seat on the floor next to the crib. Very, very carefully, he removed Ben from the seat, kissed his forehead, and transferred him to the crib.

“Sleep tight, buddy.”

Luke slipped out of the room, undressing even as he walked down the hall. As he entered their bedroom, the soft sound of Reid’s rhythmic breathing greeted him. Luke smiled.

Luke threw his clothes into the hamper in the corner as he walked around to his side of the bed. He slipped under the sheets, moving slowly as he tried to get comfortable. And just then, Reid jerked awake. Startled at first, he quickly relaxed, groaning as he rolled back towards Luke. He lifted an arm, reaching up and behind himself to cup the back of Luke’s head.

“Thought you were coming home tomorrow,” Reid mumbled, eyes still closed.

“Change of plans,” Luke said softly.

“Something the matter?”

“No,” Luke said, shaking his head. “Just missed you.”

Reid pursed his lips in an air-kiss, and Luke grinned.

“Who built the crib?”

“What makes you think it wasn’t me?” Reid said, smiling as he woke up a little more.

Luke leaned down, pressing his lips against Reid’s. Talking out of the corners of his mouth, he said, “I saw the swing.”

Reid snickered. Finally, he answered, “Your dad and Casey. But I supervised.”

“You are the most…I can’t believe sometimes how much I love you.”

“Sap.”


	7. Chapter 7

Luke wanted to cry.

But then that would make two of them. It had been just over 22 hours since he had arrived home with Ben, and just over 18 hours since Ben woke up in the unfamiliar house. Ever since, he had alternated between wailing and exhausted sleep, between reaching out for Luke and trying to push him away. An unsure Reid had left in the morning for the hospital at Luke’s insistence; he was still there since an emergency surgery had come in just as he was about to return home.

So to sum up, epic baby meltdown and just Luke to deal with it. He hadn’t eaten; he hadn’t showered. He _had_ walked around, drove around, placed the baby in the car seat on top of the washer, sang, read, begged, fed, burped, changed diapers… Luke had no idea what to do anymore.

As if in answer to his prayers, the doorbell rang. Luke hoped it was someone who could hold the baby for ten minutes while he tried to pull himself together. He walked over to the door while Ben nearly twisted backwards over his arm as he sobbed. Reaching out with his free hand, Luke opened the door and nearly fainted in relief. Grandmothers to the rescue. Or rather, great-grandmothers.

Lucinda pushed the door open further, then immediately reached out for Ben. “What are you doing, torturing this poor child?” she said fondly.

“Oh, he’s torturing me, Grandmother,” Luke said, laughing lightly as they kissed cheeks.

Emma stepped around Lucinda, placing one palm against Ben’s tear-stained cheek and one against Luke’s own cheek. “You look exhausted, sweetheart.”

“It’s been a long day,” Luke confirmed, nodding. “Come in, come in.”

“Well, sure it has. You’ve messed up each other’s routines.”

“He’s a _baby_.”

“So? Babies have routines. They want sleep and food and comfort when they’re used to it. They want to be in familiar environments. And he probably is missing Noah and Cal,” Emma said softly.

Luke collapsed onto the couch. “Yeah? So am I,” he groaned.

Emma wrapped one arm around his shoulders, rubbing softly in comfort and understanding. “You’re doing fine.”

Luke opened his eyes, peering over at Ben who was now more or less silent and staring up at Lucinda with wide eyes. Luke snorted self-deprecatingly.

“How come you can do in two minutes what I couldn’t in 20 hours?”

“Grandmother’s touch, darling.”

“Great-grandmother,” Luke shot back.

“Bite your tongue.”

Luke laughed lightly. Then he shook his head, closing his eyes. “Why did I think we could do this? ‘Oh, I have siblings; you baby-sat Jacob a lot. How hard can it be?’”

“Oh, Luke,” Lucinda said. “Shut up.”

Luke opened his eyes in shock. “What?” he asked, laughing.

“You’ve had this kid home for one day. One day. Nobody’s a natural. And let me tell you, in 40, 50 years, you’ll – ”

“Still be thinking ‘I’m the worst parent ever. What was I thinking?!'" Emma chimed in.

Luke lifted a hand, rubbing at his eyes as his shoulders shook in silent laughter.

**

“Hi, honey, I’m home,” Reid sung out sarcastically as he walked inside.

“Shh. Shh! Shut up!”

Reid raised an eyebrow as he put his bag down on the chair and removed his coat. Luke sighed and pointed over at the bassinet, where Ben finally slept peacefully. Reid nodded.

“Long day?”

Luke’s only reply was a scoff.

“Wanna send him back?” Reid asked, sitting down next to Luke and lifting his hands to Luke’s shoulders.

As Reid started to massage the tension out, Luke leaned back against Reid’s chest. His eyes slowly closed and his head lolled back alongside Reid’s. Luke quietly moaned.

“Maybe we can give it another day,” Luke said.

“OK,” Reid said, and Luke could hear his smile.

And suddenly Reid was gone. Luke quickly turned around, confused. Reid was standing, half-turned from him as he bent over the bassinet.

“What are you doing? Don’t wake him.”

“I’m not going to wake him,” Reid said quietly. “I’m just going to put him to bed.”

“Why? He’s fine like he is. He’s…Reid!”

Reid didn’t answer, disappearing down the hall with the baby. A few minutes later, he returned, smoothing his hands over his shirt and jeans.

“See? All fine.” He stopped in front of Luke, holding a hand out.

“Now what?” Luke asked, taking Reid’s hand and letting him pull him to his feet.

Reid sighed, giving Luke a full hug. “Now I’m going to put you to bed,” he said quietly in Luke’s ear.

Luke chuckled. “Oh, think again.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Reid said. “Well…not entirely.”

“Mm-hmm,” Luke murmured skeptically

**

_“Please, please, please, please, please,” Luke chanted desperately, his voice raw._

_“Please what?” Reid muttered, dragging his tongue across Luke's chest from one nipple to the other one._

_Luke swallowed. Then he tilted his head back even further, panting as he hooked the tips of his fingers around the silk tie securing him to the bed. He rocked his hips up, trying to find some kind of relief. Reid moved his own hips backwards, not allowing Luke to touch him even as he slid his chest up along Luke’s. He buried his fingers in Luke’s hair and planted an open-mouthed kiss on his chin._

_“Just…just touch me.”_

_“I am touching you,” Reid teased. He dropped lower, scraping his teeth along Luke’s Adam’s apple. Luke’s toes curled, and he moaned._

_“You…jerk.”_

_“This was your idea,” Reid responded with a chuckle._

_“Tie me up, I said,” Luke argued breathlessly. He licked his lips before continuing. “I didn’t mean you should drag this out for…for hours.”_

_“It hasn’t been that long,” Reid pointed out. Switching over to nibble on Luke’s earlobe, Reid blindly ran his hands along Luke’s arms to relieve some of the tension in his muscles. “Besides, I’m conducting a scientific experiment.”_

_“Oh?” Luke asked, quickly turning his head to catch Reid’s mouth with his own. They kissed passionately, Luke’s tongue diving into Reid’s mouth forcefully, rhythmically. Too soon, Reid pulled away. “What’s that?” Luke choked out._

_“There are two questions to answer,” Reid said, a catch in his voice as he tried to speak clinically. “First, how long can you last?”_

_Luke whimpered. Reid grinned at the sound, then began to work his way down Luke’s chest and stomach. “And second,”_ kiss _“can I”_ kiss _“make”_ suck _“you come”_ kiss _“without”_ nibble _“touching”_ lick _“your…” Reid dipped his tongue into Luke’s navel, then withdrew. He breathed out slowly, his warm air causing goose bumps to rise on Luke’s damp skin. “Cock?” he finished in a whisper._

_“God,” Luke groaned. “Please.”_

_Reid sat up suddenly, staring down fondly at Luke. “You look positively debauched,” he said casually. Then he stood up._

_Luke raised his head as far as he could, staring after Reid in surprise as he walked towards the door._

_“Where are you going?” he called after him urgently._

_“I’ll be right back,” Reid said cryptically._

_A few minutes later, Reid walked back into the room, carrying a…very large dildo. Luke forgot to breathe for a moment. “What’s…what’s that for?” he asked, arousal overpowering his nerves._

_“You think I didn’t notice your reaction to that cinematic masterpiece we watched last week?”_

_Luke snorted. “You know, the point of watching porn is to get off. You’re not supposed to choose the ones you think are going to embarrass me the most.”_

_“Yeah, and look how that backfired on me. I’ve never seen you so hot and bothered. You couldn’t stop squirming.”_

_“Shut up,” Luke said, blushing._

_Reid smiled, tracing the tip of the toy along Luke’s cheek and across his lips. Luke’s eyes closed._

_“Now…I don’t do threesomes and neither do you, so we can’t recreate it perfectly,” Reid said. “But you have a choice. Do we slide this into you over and over while you suck me off? Or do you want this in your mouth while I – ”_

_“Oh God,” Luke exhaled, pressing his head into the pillow as he tensed and released._

_Reid looked down in surprise. Then he looked over at the bedside clock. “Just under fifty minutes. Not bad, Snyder.”_

_Reid leaned forward, untying Luke’s hands. His arms dropped down onto the bed, and Luke moaned at the relief. Reid didn’t say anything, choosing to wait until Luke blinked open his dazed eyes._

_Reid grinned at him then. “Sounds like you prefer the second – ” The phone rang. “Oh, come on!”_

_“Don’t answer it,” Luke begged._

_Reid stared at the phone, hesitating. “We don’t get phone calls at 1 in the morning without good reason.”_

_Luke sighed, closing his eyes. Reid reached out for the phone and answered it quickly. “What?”_

_Reid’s resigned curiosity changed almost immediately to annoyed anger. “Do you have any idea what time it is here?”_

_He didn’t wait for the answer, handing the phone to Luke. He made to stand, but Luke reached out, forcing him to sit back down._

_“Hello? Noah! Is something wrong?”_

_Reid sighed, shaking his head. Luke gave him a small smile that quickly turned devious as Noah rambled. Luke caught Reid’s eyes, holding his gaze as he reached forward. He slowly stroked up and down Reid’s shaft. “Just wait,” he mouthed._

_And then suddenly he stopped moving. “What?” he asked, surprised. Noah repeated his statement, and Luke swallowed. “Oh. Wow. That’s – that’s great. Congratulations.”_

_Reid furrowed his brow questioningly. Luke looked down at the mattress. “No, we’ll talk more later. You should go celebrate.”_

_He hung up, then paused before looking up at Reid. “Noah and Cal are…getting married.”_

_“_ Why? _” was the first word out of Reid’s mouth._

_Luke laughed, somewhat pained. “That’s what people do when they’re in love.”_

_“But what’s the point? Gay marriage_ still _isn’t legal in California. It’s a pretend ceremony.”_

_“So, what are you saying? That if it was legal, then you’d think it was a good idea?”_

_“I don’t think they care one way or the other whether I think it’s a good idea.”_

_“No, I mean…I mean marriage in general.”_

_“No,” Reid said succinctly._

_“Oh.”_

_Luke looked down at the mattress again, picking up the sheet and running it through his fingers._

_“What’s with you?” Reid asked._

_“Nothing,” Luke said, laughing uncomfortably. Then, feeling hurt although he wasn’t willing to verbalize why, he lashed out. “Maybe I’m just jealous.”_

_There was no answer for a long time. “Right,” Reid finally said. “You two probably planned your fairy-tale wedding. He was your soul mate, after all. The love of your life, and now you’re both – ”_

_“If that’s what you want to think,” Luke said, refusing to meet Reid’s eyes._

_Reid shook his head. “Let’s not do this tonight.”_

_He stood up, throwing the dildo on the bed next to Luke and walking out of the room. Seconds later, Luke heard the door to the guest room slam shut. Luke fell back onto the bed, sighing heavily._

_“Fuck, fuck,_ fuck _,” he said. He punched the mattress next to him and swallowed. “Don’t be so stupid, Luke,” he continued quietly to himself. “It’s not like this is a surprise.”_


	8. Chapter 8

Reid whimpered as the sound of crying woke him up. He hadn’t slept the whole night through for weeks now. He heard Luke wake up next to him, sighing as he sat up. Reid put his hand out, blindly finding Luke’s thigh and pinning him in place.

“I’ll get him,” Reid mumbled.

“No, that’s OK.”

“You always go,” Reid argued.

“You have to be up early,” Luke replied, throwing the covers aside and standing up.

A week or so later, Reid came home for lunch and found Luke sound asleep at the kitchen table. Ben was in a high chair next to Luke, fussing quietly. Reid put a hand on the top of his head in greeting.

“Hey buddy,” he said before bending down next to Luke. “Luke,” he said softly, and then a little louder, “Luke!”

Luke sat bolt upright, immediately looking to Ben. When he realized what was happening, he sighed, his shoulders dropping as he ran his palms over his face. Then he looked over at Reid.

“Hi,” he said, his throat dry. “What are you doing here?”

“Came home for lunch,” Reid said, smiling fondly.

“Oh,” Luke looked away. “I – I can make you something.”

Reid laughed. “That’s OK, Donna Reed.”

“Who?”

Reid shook his head, walking over to the fridge. “Wow, I feel old. Would you go take a nap? I’ve got some paperwork, so I’ll work from home.”

“No, that’s OK. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“Luke.”

“Reid, really. They might need you at the hospital.”

Reid sighed.

A few weeks later, the smell of coffee woke Luke up. He followed it into the kitchen to find Reid preparing breakfast. Ben sat in the high chair nearby, sucking on a bottle furiously. Reid glanced over at Luke with a smile.

“I’m sorry,” Luke said. “I didn’t hear him wake up.”

“He slept the whole night,” Reid replied.

“Shut up!”

Reid laughed, nodding. “He woke up, mmm, 30 minutes ago. But _you_ should go back to bed.”

Luke squinted in confusion. “What?”

“Everything’s under control here.”

“You have to get ready for work.”

“No, I don’t. I’m off today.”

“You have rounds – ”

“I cancelled them.”

Luke paused. “I don’t understand.”

“Go back to bed! It’s Father’s Day; you’re getting breakfast in bed.”

“It’s Father’s Day?! Crap, I have to get something for my dad.”

Reid dropped the spatula, walking away from the frying food that Luke (and, fine, Reid too) liked to clog his arteries with. He placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder, forcing him to turn, and he marched Luke down the hall. When they got into the bedroom, Reid planted a hard kiss on his lips and pushed him onto the mattress.

“Get under the covers,” he ordered.

Luke flashed a startled but vaguely aroused gaze at Reid, who suddenly realized they hadn’t been together since they brought Ben home. Reid exhaled, then smiled. Then he turned away to finish breakfast. When he came back, he was balancing two plates of food in one hand and carrying Ben in his other arm. Luke took Ben, putting him down on the mattress in between them, and then he took one of the plates.

“We have to talk,” Reid said.

“Uh-oh.”

Reid smiled softly. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re being kind of – it feels like – I don’t know. It feels like you’re doing this all on your own. Or trying to. You can let me help once in a while. When was the last time you left the house without Ben?”

Luke didn’t answer.

“Luke?”

Luke sighed, putting his plate on the bedside table. He groaned, falling back onto the pillows.

“I don’t know. I don’t know why I – I’m not trying to shut you out or anything. I’m sorry.”

Reid shook his head. “This isn’t about me. This is about you.”

“But you didn’t want…you weren’t sure. I don’t want you to feel obligated – ”

“You think I’m going to get him a bottle, suddenly realize I didn’t sign up for this and leave? Luke, I’m in this. It took me a while, yeah, but I’m in this.”

Luke swallowed. After a moment, he added, “I promised Noah. I promised him I’d take care of Ben.”

Reid sighed. “The best way to do that is to let other people help. To let _me_ help. You’re not doing anyone any good running yourself into the ground.”

Luke turned his head, looking up at Reid. “Sorry,” he said quietly.

“Stop apologizing.”

At that moment, Ben flopped onto Luke, reaching out and putting his tiny hand onto Luke’s mouth. Luke started to laugh, and Reid grinned.

“See? Ben agrees with me.”

**

That night, they worked together to put Ben to bed. And once he was asleep, Reid guided Luke out of the bedroom. He wrapped his arms around Luke’s waist, walking slightly off-balance as he bent down to kiss Luke’s neck. Luke grinned, tilting his head to allow Reid room to move.

“Did you enjoy your first Father’s Day?” Reid asked quietly before sucking Luke’s earlobe into his mouth.

“I did,” Luke said breathlessly. He reached a hand behind him, hooking it around Reid’s thigh and pulling him closer. Luke moaned at the feel of Reid grinding against him.

“I have another present for you,” Reid murmured.

Luke laughed. “I can feel that. Can’t wait to unwrap it.”

Reid stopped abruptly, turning Luke around to face him. He found Luke’s eyes, full of love and lust and need.

“I’ve missed you,” Reid said.

Luke nodded. He reached out, placing his hands on Reid’s neck with his thumbs tracing his jawline. “Me too,” he whispered.

“We can’t – we can’t forget about this, OK? We can’t let _us_ get lost in everything else.”

“Never,” Luke agreed before pulling Reid into a crushing kiss.

**

Late the next morning, Reid sat in the rocking chair in the nursery with Ben. He read aloud from a journal, the corner of which Ben kept trying to grab and chew on. Reid smiled as he moved it away from his reach one more time.

“This next one is about intracranial bleeding as a result of trauma. It was written by a man named Channing, which means it’s going to be garbage, but apparently the journal needed to fill the pages this month. Probably because I wasn’t able to write anything. Ready for a good laugh? OK, let’s read the abstract first.”

Muffled laughter caught Reid’s attention and he looked up to see a sleepy Luke leaning against the doorframe.

“He doesn’t understand a word of what you’re reading to him, you realize?”

“He doesn’t understand a word of _Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed_ either, so why not kill two birds with one stone?” Reid asked, grinning. “Instead of just killing my brain cells.”

“Did you call in?” Luke asked, ignoring Reid’s sarcasm.

“Mm-hmm. I figured I wore you out so much last night, you probably would need to sleep in this morning. Guess I was right.”

Luke fought a smile. “It was quite a night, I’ll give you that.” He pushed off the door and started walking down the hall. “Is there any coffee?”

“What do I look like, your slave?”

“My sex slave,” was the last thing Reid heard before Luke got too far away.

He looked down at Ben, who was staring back up at him. Reid laughed.


	9. Chapter 9

“ _Mamamamamama. Mama. Mamama._ ”

Luke laughed silently, shaking his head. He looked across the table at Holden. “He’s been saying that for a couple days now. Reid thinks it’s hilarious.”

Holden smirked. “It’s just baby-talk. He doesn’t associate any meaning to the gibberish yet.”

“I seem to remember Mom saying that about Ethan saying _Dada_. You didn’t think that was the case then.”

“Well, of course not. And you’ll feel the same way when Ben says it.”

Luke sighed. “Reid and I have been going back and forth on that.”

“On what?” Holden asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“What he should call us. There are two of us, first of all, so just ‘Dad’ might get confusing. And Reid wonders if maybe we shouldn’t go with something else, out of respect to Noah and Cal or something.”

“Luke,” Holden said. “You can’t really plan these things out. He’s going to call you what he feels comfortable calling you. Maybe that will change when he gets older, but with a little kid…I mean, you're already going to have to explain why his family is different from many of his friends' as it is.”

Luke nodded. “I get that. It’s just, for all of Reid’s – well, he still came from a traditional home. I think he's still not quite used to the…diversity of family types here in Oakdale.”

Holden laughed. “That’s one way to put it. And how do you feel about it?”

“I would never, ever want to diminish Noah and Cal’s roles or importance in Ben’s life,” Luke said earnestly. “But I have a different experience with this – I know that your dad is the man who raised you. I only hope I can be half as good at it as you.”

Holden grinned at Luke. “It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done with my life, being a dad. And I think you might end up even better at it than me.”

Luke smiled, ducking his head.

“Well, I’m going to need a lot of help and advice, I think. Especially as he gets older.”

“You know I’m always here for you.”

“I know, Dad.”

**

_The night was going from bad to worse. After everything – after Noah, and Invicta, and their own admittedly-stupid behavior – Luke just wanted the evening to go well. He wanted to say someday that, yeah, it took them a long time and a lot of work to get there, but their first date (their first_ real _date) was worth all the trouble._

_But that was only the beginning of the trouble, it seemed. Because there were defensively sarcastic comments about going-for-dinner-and-a-movie-how-original-I-know, and a boss at the restaurant, and an ex-boyfriend at the movie theater, and an emergency page halfway through dessert. Luke felt incredibly sorry for himself as he finished his dessert alone and paid the bill. It hadn't been the first date he had imagined, that's for sure._

_As he left the restaurant, he thought about just calling it a night and going home. But his subconscious had already made other plans. He looked down at the box in his hands containing Reid’s half-eaten cheesecake inside. Luke sighed, but when he arrived at his car, he pointed it in the direction of the hospital._

_The corridors were fairly dead, as it was well past visiting hours. Luke kept waiting to get stopped, or for someone to ask what he was doing there. But he learned a long time ago, you just had to walk through there like you owned the place, and nobody asked any questions._

_That attitude brought him to the staff room. He knew Reid’s office would be locked, but he took a chance on this room. That chance paid off when the door opened. Luke looked around, trying to figure out where Reid was sure to look. Reid’s suit jacket was draped over the chair by the microwave, so Luke put the container on the table right in front of it. Grabbing a pen, he wrote_ Reid Oliver _on the top of the box._

_Then Luke went home. An hour or two later, the sound of a text message woke him up. Luke fumbled around, finally grabbing his phone off the nightstand. He flipped it open, blinking to focus his eyes on the small, illuminated screen._

Thank you for the cake.

 _Luke smiled lightly, then quickly typed back,_ You’re welcome.

_Luke closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift in a state of half-sleep as he waited for Reid to reply._

You’re still awake?

No, but I am now.

I didn’t mean to wake you.

I’m glad you did.

_There was a pause, and Luke was worried he might have said too much._

I’m sorry. We should try this again.

_Luke smiled, relieved. He allowed the feelings of the night to rush over him, finally giving them name. And the most pressing one was frustration._

Let’s skip straight to dessert next time _, he wrote._

:) OK

I was using dessert as a euphemism.

_Reid didn’t respond right away, and Luke grinned. He ran his thumb back and forth over the screen of his phone. Finally, it buzzed again. Luke read the message quickly, feeling his heart swell with emotion._

I wanted to kiss you tonight.

 _Almost immediately after that, another text came from Reid:_ I wanted to cook you breakfast tomorrow.

 _Luke grinned, feeling his body respond predictably. He typed back,_ Presumptuous much?

Am I?

 _Luke paused._ No.

_The phone rang and Luke immediately answered it, hoping the sound hadn’t woken anyone. “Hello?” he asked, half-aroused and half-curious._

_“Hey. I just – I wanted…”_

_“Me too.”_

_“I’m sorry about tonight.”_

_Luke laughed. “Me too,” he repeated. “It doesn’t…it doesn’t have to be over.”_

_“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Reid asked, and Luke could hear the teasing grin in his voice, and the hint of arousal too._

_Luke ran his fingers slowly down his chest. “Maybe,” he said, softly suggestive._

_Reid made a noise, somewhere between desire and resistance. “No,” he finally said. “No, not like this. I wanna see your face the first time I make you come.”_

_Luke sighed. “OK. But just so you know, it won’t be the first time.”_

_Reid groaned, bringing a pleased smile to Luke’s face. “Goodbye, Luke,” Reid said firmly before disconnecting the call._

_Luke hung up his own phone, holding it to his chest. He inhaled deeply, unable to fight the happiness coursing through him._

**

Ben’s tear-stained face was the most pitiful thing Reid had seen in a long time. He leaned his head against Reid’s shoulder, one tiny hand squeezing his arm.

“Look what you did to him,” Reid said, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

Chris Hughes laughed. “Vaccinations. Things of the devil.”

“So, anything to be concerned about?”

“Nope,” Chris said, making a note in the file and then snapping it shut. “Happy – well, not right now, but you know, healthy kid. I hate to say this, but you may not be the worst parent in the world.”

“Aw, Doogie. Stop it; you’re making me blush.”

Chris turned away, groaning as if his next statement was going to physically pain him. “Seriously, Reid. I think it’s great what you guys did, taking Ben. I’m not sure if I could have done it.”

Reid shrugged, trying to deflect this conversation. “You did do it. With Jacob.”

“That’s an entirely different situation. For one thing, I moved in with his mother. And not to mention, it’s not like Brad was really, you know, the Other Man when it came to Katie and me. At least not in the same way.”

Reid sighed. “Do we have to have this conversation?”

Chris laughed. “No, I guess not. It’s weird to think we might have even a little bit in common.”

“I’ll forget about it if you will.”

“Deal.”

Reid nodded quickly, then left the exam room. Unfortunately, he almost ran into someone walking down the hall. As soon as he realized who it was, he sighed.

“Bob, you’re here more often now that you’re retired than you ever were when you worked here.”

“That’s because I miss your sparkling personality and your charming bedside manner, Dr. Oliver. Is this him? Ben?”

“No, this is a strange kid I grabbed out of Peds.”

Bob didn’t reply; he merely took Ben from Reid’s hold, bringing him close against his own chest.

“Hello, Mr. Mayer. It’s so nice to meet you. I knew your father, you know? Wow, you are big for your age, aren’t you? Yes.”

Reid rolled his eyes, following Bob as he walked down the hall with his son.


	10. Chapter 10

“Reid!” The sound of Luke hurrying up to the office door pulled Reid out of the article he was writing. “Reid, come quick!”

Reid looked over at Luke, curious about the extreme excitement on his face. He stood and followed Luke out the door and down the hall. When they got into the living room, he saw nothing but Ben sitting on his blanket, gnawing on one of those damn plastic rings that Reid was always tripping over.

“What’s going on?”

Luke shook his head. “You gotta see. Oh, I hope he does it again.”

“Did you teach him how to fetch? Because that could be really useful.”

Luke stepped away, rolling his eyes. He walked over and knelt down by Ben. “Should we show Dad? Come on, buddy.”

Reid watched for several minutes as Luke tried to coax Ben into repeating whatever he had done before. No luck. Reid subtly glanced at his watch.

“You want to just tell me?”

Luke sighed heavily. “He stood up.”

“ _Really?_ ”

“Yeah. You know, he was holding onto the coffee table, and he was a little wobbly, but…”

Reid walked further into the room and sat down next to the other two. Abandoning his article, he spent the next couple hours with Luke trying to get a confused Ben to stand up again. When they finally managed to do it, both Luke and Reid clapped and cheered so loudly, Ben promptly fell on his butt again.

**

_Reid had suffered through many unpleasant social situations, but this one had to be the worst. Noah had finished school, only a few months behind schedule, and had promptly got a job as a peon with a studio in California. Lily – who every once in a while still looked at Reid like he was some sort of pedophile corrupting her son – threw Noah a going-away party. Noah and Luke were surprisingly still on decent terms, now that they’d worked through all the back-and-forth crap, and Luke wanted to make an appearance at the party. Reid had tried everything he could think of to get out of it with no luck, and he eventually ended up just hoping that they could leave at a decent hour._

_That turned out to be a pipe dream too, as he was still there when Lily and Holden (currently on-again) began cleaning up. Casey Hughes was the last guest to leave, and Noah and Luke said goodbye before returning to their conversation about…well, Reid wasn’t quite sure anymore. He was just lounging on the corner of the couch, mentally escaping the horror of the party. The things he did for Luke._

_The man in question turned to him just then. “You OK?”_

_Reid made a noncommittal sound._

_“That’s Reid-speak for ‘it’s time to go home,’” Luke said, and Reid could hear his grin. The couch shifted as Luke stood up. “Mom, you need any help?”_

_At Lily’s refusal, Reid finally opened his eyes. Just in time to see Noah and Luke standing a couple feet apart, looking all awkward._ Oh good _, Reid thought,_ I get to witness the Final Goodbye.

_Luke and Noah shuffled their feet and stared at their hands. Reid rolled his eyes and walked across the room to gather his and Luke’s jackets. By the time, he made it back, the other two had kissed cheeks and hugged and were now separating._

_“You done?” Reid asked, and Luke nodded._

_Surprisingly, that was when Noah started laughing. “You’re always – ” He pressed his tongue to his teeth. “I’m glad you finally got your heart, Tin Man, but you’re still the most…”_

_Reid stared at him passively._

_Noah shook his head. “I think I’m going to miss you most of all,” he said sarcastically._

_Then, to Reid’s complete and utter surprise, Noah leaned forward and kissed him hard on the mouth. By the time Reid recovered, Noah was already out the door. Reid turned to Luke, who was staring back at him, eyebrows raised. Then Luke burst into laughter._

_“Oh my God, your face,” he wheezed._

**

“Ben, no!”

The standing thing wasn’t so cute, it turned out, because it turned into walking, and then running, and then ultimately running away. Reid reached out quickly, grabbing the back of Ben’s shirt and preventing him from getting more than a few feet from the booth at Al’s. Laughter behind him got Reid’s attention and he turned around.

“Hey Katie,” he said, standing up halfway to kiss her cheek.

“Hi Reid. Enjoying your lunch?”

“I would be if I could spend half a second trying to eat it. Hey Jacob, how are you?”

Jacob, wrapped around Katie’s leg, looked up at him with his mother’s blinding smile. “Hi Reid.”

Katie sat down, sliding into the booth and helping Jacob in behind her. “Aren’t you going to say hi to Ben?”

Jacob looked over at Ben, now sitting on Reid’s lap and staring back at Jacob in awe. Jacob’s smile fell, and he grumbled out a quiet and extremely reluctant “Hi Ben.” Katie and Reid glanced at each other in slightly-amused surprise, but they let his attitude pass for the moment.

“How’s kindergarten going, buddy?”

“Good, we did the alphabet today and Miss Thompson said it was really good that I knew all the letters and I told her that you taught me and numbers too and so I counted all the way up to twenty to show her and I got an extra sticker for it and all the other kids were really jealous but it’s not my fault that I’m the smartest one in the class because I’m just like you and you were the smartest one too but Mom says I shouldn’t say things like that because it’s not very nice to the other kids who might feel bad about themselves.”

Jacob took a huge breath, clearly prepared to start his next sentence, while Katie propped her elbow on the table and rested her forehead in her hand. Reid just smirked. Just as Jacob was beginning to talk again, the waitress brought over the meal Katie had ordered for him.

“OK, Jacob!” Katie said quickly. “Here’s your lunch. Eat carefully, and remember it’s not nice to talk with your mouth full.”

“But Reid does,” Jacob said around the giant bite of his sandwich.

Katie glared at Reid. “Do you see what you’ve done to my child?”

Reid laughed, before turning back to Jacob. “Hey, kid. How about this weekend, to celebrate your first week of school, we go to the park and let your Mom and Chris spend the day alone together doing boring stuff?”

“Really?!”

“Sure.”

“Reid Oliver,” Katie said, charmed. “Certainly you aren’t giving us an anniversary present?”

“Oh, is it your anniversary? I can barely remember my own, much to Luke’s dismay."

Katie nodded disbelievingly.

"Of course, trying to narrow down _when_ we actually became a couple..." Reid continued, trailing off significantly.

“Can Luke come to the park?” Jacob asked, ignoring the adult conversation.

“Probably.”

Jacob’s eyes narrowed. “Will Ben be there?”

“Of course.”

Jacob fell back into his seat. “That’s OK. I don’t want to go.”

“Jacob Bradley Snyder! That’s a very rude thing to say.”

Jacob crossed his arms and stared at the table. Katie looked up at Reid, shocked.

“Katie, could you – ?” Reid nodded towards Ben. “I think Jacob and I need to have a conversation, man to man.”

Katie inhaled sharply and then sighed loudly. “OK.” She scooted Jacob over so she could get out of the seat and then walked over to take Ben from Reid. “Behave,” she said to Jacob as she walked out of Al’s. Reid turned to face Jacob again, who avoided Reid’s eyes.

“What’s the problem, buddy?”

Jacob shrugged, staring out the window.

“Don’t you like Ben?”

“No,” Jacob finally said quietly.

“Why not? Did he hurt you? Was he mean to you?”

“No, he’s just a _baby_. He can’t even really talk.”

“OK, then is that why you don’t like him?”

Jacob shrugged again, and Reid sighed. “It makes me sad that you don’t like him. I want my two favorite boys to get along.”

Jacob’s chin wobbled, but he didn’t say anything.

“Jacob?”

Jacob quickly wiped at his eyes. “Ever since he came here, you don’t ever want to spend any time with me anymore. You always gotta go home and take care of him, and even when I do see you, he’s always around and we can’t even play or anything, because – because…”

Reid exhaled, looking at his hands clasped on the surface of the table. “I know it might seem pretty unfair sometimes, but I promise you I still have time for you, OK? Ben is my son, and I love him, but I still love you just as much as I always have. He needs a lot of attention right now because he’s so little, but once he’s older, I guarantee you’re really going to like having him around. He’s going to be someone you can play with. He’s almost going to be like a little brother or something.”

Jacob sighed. “Is he gonna like trucks and stuff?”

“Probably.”

“I guess that wouldn’t be so bad.”

“I know I work a lot, and a lot of my time is spent with Ben and Luke, but I still want to hang out with you. You have to go to school, right? And that’s something you even _like_ doing, but just because you don’t have as much time for me anymore doesn’t mean you like me less, right?”

Jacob nodded.

“And you have some friends at school now, right?”

“Yeah,” Jacob said softly.

“But you’re still friends with me, though.”

“Yeah.”

“So see. It’s the same thing. Ben is always going to be my son. That’s not going to change. But you’re always going to be my favorite un-nephew.”

Jacob laughed at the fake name they had made up several months ago. “You’re always going to be my favorite un-uncle.”

“Oh, great. So how about this weekend, we leave Ben and Luke at home and hang out just the two of us?"

Jacob heaved a loud, long-suffering sigh. “They can come too,” he finally said.

“If you’re sure.”

Jacob nodded.

“Good! Now let’s eat up. I’m starving.”


	11. Chapter 11

Luke blinked quickly against the sweat slowly running into his eyes; he shook his head to get the damp locks off his forehead and then exhaled. Looking down at Reid, he allowed a grin to spread over his face as he lifted himself (torturously slowly) and then slid back down.

“You feel so good,” he said brokenly, changing the direction of his movement and now lazily rocking back and forth.

Reid lifted a hand to the side of Luke’s face, and Luke turned into it, kissing the soft skin and lightly biting the heel of Reid’s palm. Reid groaned, moving the hand further back, cupping Luke’s neck and using his hold to pull Luke down.

They met, briefly locking lips in a desperate kiss before Luke pulled back again. “Reid,” he moaned, pressing his hands firmly against the mattress and speeding up the motions of his hips. “This never – with you…”

Reid nodded, unable to say anything. His hands dropped low again, one clutching at Luke’s hipbone, the other moving to Luke’s cock. Luke tilted his head back, staring unseeing at the ceiling, and then he dropped his head forward as he exhaled a shuddering breath.

“More,” he begged. “More. Now.”

Just as Reid began to comply, a sharp cry rang through the dark house. Luke’s movement halted to a sudden stop as he turned to look in the direction of Ben’s bedroom. Then he faced Reid, conflicted emotions racing across his face. Reid shook his head.

“No, no,” he murmured.

“They say you’re supposed to – ” Luke whispered, beginning to move again urgently. “That they should put themselves back to bed.”

Reid nodded. He sat up, propping one arm behind himself and wrapping the other around Luke’s waist. He pulled Luke closer, lifting both of them off the bed as he thrust faster. “That’s just a wanting-attention cry. He’s fine.”

“Mm-hmm,” Luke murmured around Reid’s lips as he kissed him.

But it was no use. As soon as they got close again, another cry pierced the air.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Luke said, stopping his movement again and dropping his forehead to Reid’s shoulder.

He pulled himself off Reid and rolled to the edge of the bed. Reid grabbed futilely after him and then collapsed back onto the pillows with a sigh. Luke was in his boxers and out the room a few seconds later. Reid lifted a hand to his face, rubbing briskly.

“ _Reid!_ ”

The tone in Luke’s voice was enough to get Reid up and out of bed. He was in Ben’s room two seconds later. Ben was pitifully clinging to Luke, his face red and blotchy.

“He’s burning up,” Luke said, worried.

“OK,” Reid said, walking over quickly. He put a hand to Ben’s forehead. “It’s probably nothing to worry about. Maybe a little cold.”

“Reid, he’s on fire!”

“Chris is on tonight,” Reid said. “Let’s bring him in.”

Luke nodded frantically.

**

_“Hello?” Luke inquired as he answered the phone._

_“Hey Luke!”_

_“Noah, how are you?”_

_Luke put his pen down and pushed the grant request aside. He threw his feet up on the desk, leaning back in his chair as he prepared to catch up with his friend._

_“Good. I have, uh, I have interesting news.”_

_“You’ve been hired to direct next summer’s biggest blockbuster.”_

_Noah laughed. “No.”_

_“What is it?” Luke prompted, grinning._

_“I’ve…I’ve met someone.”_

_Luke’s smile fell slightly. “Oh. Oh! That’s great. What’s he like?”_

_After a short pause, Noah started talking again. “His name’s Cal. He’s – he’s an actor.”_

_Luke forced a smile back to his face and a laugh back to his voice. “Ah, so pretty and dumb, in other words.”_

_“Just the way I like them.”_

_“Ha ha.”_

_They talked for a few minutes longer, Noah gushing about Cal and then finally remembering to ask after Reid and the Snyders. After Luke hung up, he stared at the phone for a while, and then picked it up again. He dialed Reid’s cell._

_It took several rings to answer, and when Reid did say hello, he sounded harried._

_“Sorry, are you busy?” Luke asked._

_“A little. What’s going on?”_

_“I just talked to Noah,” Luke replied cautiously. “He has a boyfriend.”_

_“You called me in the middle of the day for some gossip?”_

_“No, I just – never mind. Sorry.”_

_“Luke,” Reid said quickly, sounding apologetic._

_“It just threw me, is all. We can talk later.”_

_There was a long pause, and then Reid said, the emotions in his voice difficult to read. “Are you_ jealous _?” he asked incredulously._

_“No,” Luke said, laughing uncomfortably._

_“Right.”_

_“Maybe a little,” Luke admitted._

_“Well, he’d take you back in a heartbeat, so.”_

_“Reid,” Luke sighed. “I just mean…I didn’t want him to move on so fast. I wanted him to…to pine a little longer. It’s weird to think I could be so easily…”_

_“Replaced?”_

_“Yeah. Oh God, I’m a horrible person. I moved on; why shouldn't he? I’m so vain.”_

_“You’re just human,” Reid said with a sigh._

_“And it’s not just that. He was – he was an important part of my life for a very long time,” Luke continued. “He was there during some seriously bad - and good - times, and he knows stuff about me that nobody else does, not even you, just because of that. He knows who I was, what I was like. And with both of us with someone else, it’s like…it’s like my past is gone. My history is gone.”_

_Reid didn’t say anything for a while. “I think I get that,” he said._

_Luke exhaled roughly. “Sorry. I’ll let you get back to work.”_

_“We can talk later.”_

_“Mm-hmm. I love you.”_

_“You too,” Reid replied._

_Before he could hang up the phone, Luke called out, grabbing his attention._

_“I’m more interested in my future than in my past.”_

**

It turns out it was just a cold – a bad cold, but a cold nonetheless. And the next several days became all about medicine drops and coughing, about cool baths and sneezing, about holding an exhausted little kid in the dead of night as he tried and failed to sleep.

But eventually, the worst was behind them, and Ben sprawled out in his crib, fidgeting in his sleep. Luke and Reid stared down at him for a few minutes and then quietly backed out of the room.

“Oh my God,” Luke complained in a harsh whisper. “I need a shower.”

Reid ran a hand through his own hair, sighing softly, and then he grinned. “Want some company?” he asked.

Luke looked at him, a smile coming to his face despite his tired state. “You’re serious?”

“I owe you an orgasm,” Reid explained.

In an almost embarrassingly short time, they were naked and in the shower. Luke was pressed against the corner, one foot on the edge of the tub, the other leg wrapped high around Reid’s waist. Reid’s body was in contact with his all the way from his mouth down, their chests working against each other as they fought for air.

Reid sucked Luke’s tongue into his mouth, moaning around it. They rocked against each other, the slip and slide of water and sweat and steam and soap making things easier, if a little unsafe. Reid paused, hoisting Luke up again, higher against the wall of the shower. Luke started to slide down again, and he straightened his leg, pushing hard against the edge of the tub until they were lined up properly. Luke hugged Reid’s head, engulfing him entirely in his embrace as he bent down to suck on whatever skin he could reach.

“Yes, yes. Oh God, yes,” he groaned, and Reid pulled him tighter, thrust harder.

Reid rotated his hips, circling over and over, grinding against Luke, slipping into the crease between his cock and inner thigh. He slid one hand down, coasting over the wet skin of Luke's back. He reached around, underneath, caressing the tips of his fingers along the crack of Luke's ass, pressing in deeper, teasing.

Luke came, his foot sliding off the tub as he nearly collapsed to the ground. Reid caught him, fingers digging into Luke's flesh as he sped his own movements. As Luke recovered, he tilted his head back, allowing the pounding water to stream over his face and neck, flow down his body to wash off his come. The entire time, he kept pace with Reid, meeting him thrust for thrust as Reid sought his own release.

“Dada.”

Reid pulled back immediately, and they both turned away from the shower.

“What? What the fuck?” Reid asked, confused.

Luke pulled the curtain aside and stared in shock at a sleepy, sniffling Ben, standing in the door of the bathroom and holding his hand out imploringly.

“He climbed out of the crib,” Luke said disbelievingly. “Oh my God.”

Luke hurriedly stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and walking closer to Ben. Reid slowly leaned against the wall of the shower, trying to muffle his curses.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you haven't noticed already, this story is not exactly following linear time. In these last few chapters especially, time jumps/has jumped significantly. In my mind, Ben is, eh, around 4 or so now.

Reid stopped in surprise as he walked inside his house to find Casey Hughes sitting alone in his living room. Casey nodded in greeting. Then Reid started moving again, throwing his jacket on the couch and depositing his keys on the little table next to the door.

“Hey. Where’s Luke?”

Casey, eyes glued back on the TV, replied softly, “Ben woke up an hour or so ago, and Luke went to put him back to bed. Last I saw, they were both sound asleep in that little teensy kid bed. It’s kind of amusing, so you might want to take a picture before you wake Luke.

“Will do,” Reid said, dropping down onto the couch next to Casey. “Any news?”

“They just called it. Four more years.”

“Whoo hoo,” Reid said quietly but sincerely, leaning his head back against the couch and closing his eyes.

Casey laughed. “I’ll take that as a hint.”

Reid made a slight noise as Casey stood and patted his pockets to make sure he had his keys. Then he leaned over and put his hand on Reid’s shoulder. “And Illinois just legalized gay marriage.”

Reid ignored him, and Casey snickered. Reid didn’t move again until he heard the front door close behind Casey. Then he opened his eyes, pulled himself to his feet, and went to find Luke. Casey was right; he was curled up on Ben’s little bed, his knees bent so his feet didn’t hang off the end. Ben was flopped on his stomach, arms and legs spread out wide over the mattress (and Luke).

Reid carefully bent over the bed, reaching out and lightly shaking Luke’s shoulder. Luke jerked awake, staring at Reid in confused surprise. Reid held his finger to his lips, and Luke groaned tiredly as he realized where he was. He sat up, slowly extracting himself from beneath Ben, and then he very cautiously climbed off of the bed.

Reid leaned over again, kissing the top of Ben’s head. Luke led him out of the bedroom, turning curiously to him.

“Did Casey go home?”

“Just now,” Reid replied quietly, nodding. “Porter was reelected.”

“Oh, thank God,” Luke said as they both sat on the couch. Luke immediately curled up against Reid, who dropped his arm around Luke. Reid didn’t say anything; he just traced the tips of his fingers in small circles over Luke’s shoulder.

Finally, Reid took a deep breath and, feeling bizarrely tense, said, “Illinois approved gay marriage.”

Reid didn’t have to look down to know that Luke had opened his eyes and was staring straight ahead.

“Oh,” Luke finally responded. “That’s good. You know, in general.”

“Yeah. In general.” Reid paused. “Of course it also begs the question – why not get married?”

Luke laughed, slightly forced. “I like to keep my options open.”

Reid didn’t reply, and Luke sat up. He turned to look at Reid, completely flabbergasted.

“You’re serious?”

Reid nodded and shrugged simultaneously.

“Mr. Who Cares if Marriage is Legal or Not, It’s Still a Bad Idea?”

Reid furrowed his brow. “When did I say that?”

Luke stared at him, mouth agape. Then he shook his head. “When Noah and Cal got engaged!”

Reid sat up straighter. “That was years ago. Things have changed.”

“Yeah,” Luke nodded frantically. “They have. And…it’s not important to me. Not anymore. It used to be; I wanted that kind of security. That kind of fairy tale happy ending. But God, look at my parents. They’ve been married and divorced, to each other and to other people, so many times I’ve lost count. A wedding doesn’t mean anything. You coming home every night, the three of us, our little family. _That_ means something. I don’t need the piece of paper; we’re already married.”

Reid nodded, looking away. “Fine, never mind,” he said as he stood up.

Luke stared after him, uncertain about what has happening. Once Reid disappeared from his sight, Luke turned away, looking at the floor for a few seconds. Then he shook his head, picked up the remote and turned off the TV. He stood himself, about to follow Reid to the bedroom when he noticed the jacket Reid had thrown over the arm of the couch.

Luke snorted. Typical. It seemed he was always picking up Reid’s clothing. He was right; they were already married, in all the ways that mattered. Including annoying behavior and pet peeves. He picked up the jacket and took one step towards the closet. Then he noticed how heavy it was.

“What the hell does he have in here?” Luke muttered to himself.

Luke searched the pockets, eventually finding a small jewelry box.

“Holy – ” Luke whispered.

He opened it to reveal two gold wedding bands. He stared at them for what felt like an eternity. And then, two seconds later, he was down the hall and standing in the doorway to their bedroom. He watched silently as Reid undressed. He took off his watch and placed it on the bedside table; then his fingers moved up to the top of his shirt and began slipping the buttons from their holes one-by-one.

Luke opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word. Instead he managed to make a small, strangled sound. Reid turned to face him. Luke swallowed, and then he held up the box in his hands. Reid stared at it, his face completely blank.

“Is this for real?” Luke finally asked.

Reid shrugged, turning away from Luke again as he pulled off his shirt.

“You want to _marry_ me?” Luke continued, slightly breathless.

“Like you said,” Reid responded, in that unfeeling way he had when he was trying to hide his own emotions, “It’s not important. Or necessary. Just forget about it.”

“No!” Luke blurted, “I don’t want to.”

Reid glanced at him again, and Luke moved. He walked quickly across the room, climbing straight onto the bed and walking across it to land on the other side next to Reid. Then he pulled Reid into a kiss.

“I want to marry you,” he murmured quietly as he pulled away.

Reid swallowed, then exhaled shakily. Eyes focused somewhere around Luke’s chin, he nodded. “OK,” was his only reply before they kissed again.

**

“Oh, good. You’re all here. This makes things easier,” Luke observed as he walked into his parents’ house the next morning, Ben trailing behind him.

Lily, Holden and Lucinda looked at him questioningly. Ben ran around Luke, straight for Holden, who picked him up and pulled him into his lap.

“Breakfast, honey?” Lily offered.

“No, thank you. We already ate.”

Luke sat down, rolling his eyes and shaking his head as Ben leaned forward and stole food from Holden’s plate. “Ben!”

“He’s a growing boy,” Holden said, laughing.

“Tell me about it. Half the clothes I bought for him two weeks ago don’t fit already. I shouldn’t be surprised, of course; Noah was half-giant.”

“So what did you have to tell us?” Lucinda asked.

“Hm? Oh. Right. So, uh…you know, if you all are free, Reid and I are booking the hall at the Lakeview sometime next month.”

Lily looked confused. “Book it for what?”

Luke glanced around. Holden was half-focused on Ben, who was talking quietly to himself as he played with Holden’s watch. Lucinda – well, her expression seemed to imply she had already figured it out.

“I’ve agreed to make an honest man out of him,” Luke said, unable to fight the smile that came to his face.

“ _What?_ ” Lily asked, shocked.

Lucinda tilted her head back, laughing once in triumph. “I knew it. I knew if that law passed, you two would be the first ones in the state to get engaged.”

Luke nodded, blushing lightly. “He asked me as soon as he got home last night.”

“He asked you? _He_ asked _you_?”

“Yes, Mom,” Luke replied, laughing. “ _He_ asked _me_.”

"Of course he did. Does he really think that attitude of his fools anyone?" Lucinda clapped her hands delightedly. “Oh, this is going to be the Oakdale Event of the Year.”

Luke stared at her, clearly worried. “What? No. Grandmother!”

**

_It had been a week since Lucinda and Kim had put fear in the hearts of Invicta Corporation and Bob Hughes, respectively. It had been five days since Katie had convinced Reid to go and just_ talk _to Luke (who had spent the previous three days listening to Emma rhapsodize about love and patience and compromise). It had been two days since their rather disastrous first date, and Luke would not admit how many times he had gone into his phone memory to read the texts Reid had sent him that night. It had been three hours since Reid had shown up at Luke’s place for their second attempt. Thankfully, at the moment, nobody was home, and they had spent that time just being close. Touching each other as they talked, pausing for increasingly frequent breaks – to give each other increasingly deep kisses._

_Luke was tired of waiting. And apparently so was Reid, because the next time he leaned into Luke, Reid also lifted his hand to cling at Luke’s hair. He pushed Luke lightly until he felt the couch pillows against his back and the sharp corner of the couch’s arm underneath his head. Reid’s warm body covered his as they both stretched out their legs and tangled themselves together._

_Luke groaned into Reid’s mouth, giving back as good as he got. He ran one hand along Reid’s back, slowly sliding down until he cupped the curve of Reid’s ass. Reid’s own hand was wandering, eventually ending up at Luke’s waist. As soon as he started working at Luke’s belt buckle, Luke stopped moving._

_Reid backed off. “What? Is something wrong?”_

_Luke lifted his hand to his forehead, shaking his head lightly. “We can’t do this.”_

_“Why not?” Reid asked, half-frustrated and half-concerned._

_Luke smiled fondly at him. “We’re in the living room of my mother’s house. She could come in at any second – or one of my sisters, or one of the random kids who end up living here for some reason or another.”_

_Reid exhaled, slightly relieved at the explanation. “Katie’s at work,” he proposed._

_Luke sat up quickly, dislodging Reid. “Let’s go.”_

_What felt like mere seconds later, Reid was blindly opening the door to the apartment, kissing Luke desperately even as he guided the other man inside the room. Luke shut the door behind him, then fell back against it, pulling Reid closer to him. Reid’s knee slipped between Luke’s legs, and Luke spread his stance wider to let him in. He felt Reid’s cock grinding against his thigh, felt Reid’s hand slip to his waist and pull him closer. Luke clutched at him, wrapped his arms around him, arched his back and pushed his hips forward to increase the area and force of contact between them. Basically, Luke tried to_ climb _Reid._

_“Hello boys,” came a sweetly sarcastic greeting._

_Reid jumped quickly away, turning to glare at Katie. Luke swallowed a few times, leaning weakly against the door and trying not to blush._

_“I thought you were working!”_

_Katie shrugged, turning back to the lunch in her hand. “Technical difficulties at the studio, so we had to call it a day.” She looked back up at them, devious. “Don’t let me interrupt you.”_

_Reid faced Luke, and Luke nearly broke into laughter at the expression on his face._

_“Lakeview?” Luke suggested._

_Reid grabbed his wrist and they were out the door without so much as a goodbye to Katie. Seemingly moments later, they were walking through the lobby of the hotel. Luke headed directly to the front desk, a look of determination on his face._

_“Luke!” someone said behind them. “Reid!”_

_Luke turned abruptly, mouth gaping at his father. “Dad….Jack,” he greeted the two men. “What – what are you doing here?”_

_“We’re getting some lunch.”_

_“Oh,” Luke replied, looking at Reid. “Us – us too.”_

_“Really? Why don’t you join us?”_

_Luke looked at Reid again. Reid let the wall on his face down just enough to shoot daggers at Luke. Luke silently sent back a ‘Like this is my fault?!’_

_“Sure,” he said. Reid faced the other men and forced a smile._

_Holden and Jack kept walking, disappearing into the lounge. Luke turned to Reid, leaning into him and burying his face between Reid’s neck and shoulder. The whimpered sound Luke made was equal parts disbelieving laughter, resigned acceptance, and pure frustration._

_“This devil town hates me,” Reid observed flatly._


	13. Chapter 13

“Hi hon,” Katie said as she pulled open the front door for Reid.

Reid nodded, stepping inside the house. He walked around Katie, stopping in the living room and suddenly looking uncertain.

“What’s going on?” Katie asked.

“I have a favor to ask you,” Reid said awkwardly before clearing his throat. He sat down on the couch and waited for Katie to join him.

“Shoot,” Katie said.

Reid looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. “So…well, the thing is…Luke and I are engaged.”

Reid waited patiently while Katie squealed loudly and bounced up and down in her seat. She even smacked his arm a few times in her excitement.

“Yeah, OK. You done?” he asked once she calmed slightly.

“For now,” Katie replied, a large grin on her face as she settled.

“Anyway,” Reid began, pausing to clear his throat again. “We figure the actual…you know, thing will be fairly small. Luke’s parents and grandmothers and siblings. Bob and Kim, standing in as my family. Ben, obviously.” Reid reached up, scratching lightly at his left eyebrow. “The, uh, the license needs two witnesses. So if you wanted to, I don’t know, be there and sign it. You could even stand next to me, or something. If you wanted. Jacob can come, of course. And Chris, I suppose.”

Katie held a hand to her heart, blinking rapidly. “Are you asking me to be your – best woman?”

Reid grimaced. “If you want to call it that. Although I wish you wouldn’t.”

Katie leaned forward and planted a kiss on Reid’s cheekbone. “I’m going to throw you the best bachelor party ever!”

“No! I don’t – Katie!”

**

Luke slid into the small table in the corner of Java. Casey looked up, surprised.

“Hey man.”

“So…Reid proposed last night,” Luke said without so much as a hello.

Unfortunately, Casey had just taken a sip of his coffee. He spluttered, coughing and reaching for a napkin. Once he recovered, he stared at Luke, eyes wide.

“And…you need me to create a distraction while you skip town?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I’m asking you to be my best man.”

“Done,” Casey said immediately.

“Good,” Luke said, nodding in emphasis.

Casey grinned. “ _Reid_ proposed?”

“Why is this such a damn shock to everyone?” Luke asked, falling against the back of the chair.

**

_“Bye Dad. Bye Jack.”_

_Reid nodded in farewell, watching the other two men leave the restaurant._

_“Wait…just a few seconds…” Luke murmured quietly. Reid looked at his watch. “OK! They’re probably gone.”_

_Both men stood up abruptly, and Luke threw several bills on the table for a tip. Luke led Reid out of the room, stepping over to the front desk. Reid turned away, staring at the potted plant in the corner of the hall. He exhaled slowly as he ran a nervous hand down his shirt._

_“Wanna come up to my room?” Luke, suddenly behind him, whispered in his ear. Reid swallowed and turned to face him._

_Luke raised his eyebrows teasingly, even as he grinned. He held the key up, flipping it back and forth between his fingers._

_“This place charge by the hour?”_

_Luke shook his head. “We have it all night.”_

_Reid tilted his head slightly, stepping aside and gesturing towards the elevator. Luke gave him one last, lingering glance and then walked forward and pressed the button. Reid moved closer, standing right behind Luke and shivering in anticipation at the heat emanating from Luke’s body. Luke half-turned his head, a smile dancing just on the corners of his mouth as he watched Reid in his peripheral vision. Reid reached forward, tracing the tips of his fingers along Luke’s side._

_“This is the slowest elevator in the world,” Reid observed._

_Luke made a small noise in agreement. Finally, finally, the door opened and they both stepped on. Luke pressed the button and then leaned back against the wall. Reid stood several feet away from him, and Luke tilted his head questioningly._

_“If I get any closer, we’ll be arrested for indecent exposure when the doors open again,” Reid explained._

_“Ah,” Luke said with a smile. He was silent for a few moments and then added, “I think this is where I first started to fall for you. Or first recognized it or admitted it or something. This elevator, right here.”_

_“What do you mean?” Reid asked softly._

_“Why do you think I was acting so immature? I couldn’t deal with the way I was feeling – wanting,” Luke laughed quickly. “Wanting to jump you right then and there. And then you started talking about the brain, but it was the first time I really saw your_ heart _. And then I calmed you down._ I _calmed you down, or helped at any rate, and I realized how much I liked just being there for you. So, yeah. Desire, lust, appreciation, concern, insight, understanding, admiration…all these feelings just coming together and hitting me like a two-by-four to the head: this man could have me for life, if I let him. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time.”_

_Reid stared at him. He swallowed, but just as he was about to reply, the doors dinged open. He reached out for Luke’s hand and pulled him into the hall. Stopping a few feet from the elevator, he turned to face Luke._

_“I was already…so in love with you by that point. I_ am _very claustrophobic, but being stuck in a small space with you...it was my worst nightmare and my dream come true. My happy place isn’t the brain anymore, by the way. Something more amazing has taken its place.”_

_Luke grinned, joy radiating from his face. Rather than replying, he started to lead Reid again, eventually stopping outside a corner suite. He put the key in the door, then removed it quickly and pushed the door open. Reid gave him a heated glance as he walked past Luke and into the room. He heard the door click shut behind him and saw the empty bed in front of him, and suddenly this became very, very real._

_A hand on his shoulder prompted Reid to turn around. He immediately reached forward, wrapping his hands around Luke’s waist and standing just in front of him. Then Reid stared down, holding incredibly still._

_“What are you waiting for?” Luke teased breathlessly._

_“My beeper to go off,” Reid explained, matter-of-fact._

_Luke burst into laughter, breaking the tension in the room. He leaned forward, placing a palm on Reid’s cheek and kissing him deeply. The next several minutes passed in flashes of pleasure, and Luke worried he’d never remember all the details of his first time with Reid. But he did register caresses and kisses, moans and soft murmurs, shirts falling off and ridiculously frustrating belts getting stuck in loops, quiet chuckles and groans._

_Luke fell onto the bed, staring lovingly as Reid stalked after him, crawling up along Luke’s body and eventually dropping down to cover it with his own. Luke wrapped his arms around Reid’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. His breathing hitched as their hard cocks came into contact, and he exhaled shakily when Reid reached down to his hip and tugged him even closer._

_“How do you,” Reid whispered, “want to do this?”_

_Luke ran a hand up the back of Reid’s neck, stopping when his fingers tangled into Reid’s hair. He tilted his head to the side, sighing in soft pleasure. “Well, I thought we both might come.” Luke smiled when Reid quickly pinched him. “Other than that,” he continued,” I don’t really care how we get there.”_

_Reid pulled back. “You don’t – you have no preference?”_

_Luke shrugged. “Not really. I have so many plans for you in mind, I’m sure we’ll hit every combination eventually.”_

_Reid raised his eyebrows before leaning back in for another kiss._

_“I used to plan these kinds of things out, even before – well, long before it was even an issue,” Luke continued once Reid moved onto his collarbone. “I’d envision every moment, wanting it to be perfect. Forcing it to be perfect, but I know I don’t have to try that hard with you. It already is perfect.”_

_Reid propped himself up and smiled down at him. “You’re a bit of a sap, you know?”_

_“Deal with it,” Luke replied, laughing._

_“Well, if you really don’t care, I’ve…I’ve been wanting to take you for months. To make you mine. I know that sounds so – ”_

_“Hot?”_

_“Possessive.”_

_“Hot.”_

_Reid slowly grinned. Then he pulled away from Luke, bending over the side of the bed to root around in his jeans until he found the condom and packet of lube. When he returned, Luke was staring at him, equal parts lust and apprehension._

_“You OK?” Reid asked suddenly. “You’re sure you’re ready for this?”_

_“More than ready,” Luke assured him, nodding. “Just…it really has been a while, and you’re – uh, you’re…” he nodded down towards Reid’s lap._

_“Why thank you,” Reid said with a cheeky grin. He surged forward, capturing Luke’s lips in a sloppy kiss. “I’ll be gentle,” he promised before pushing Luke back to the mattress._

_He kissed Luke once more, then lightly tugged on his shoulder, rolling Luke onto his stomach. Reid reached over, grabbing a pillow which he then pushed underneath Luke._

_“I want to see you,” Luke argued. “When you come inside me, I want to see your face.”_

_“You will,” Reid promised, his voice loud in Luke’s ear as he was tonguing Luke’s shoulder at the time. “I just want to make sure you’re good and ready for it first.”_

_And with that, Reid proceeded to torture Luke. Lying virtually on top of him, he kissed every inch of Luke’s back and neck and shoulders, all while gripping Luke’s hips and grinding his erection against Luke’s ass. Luke moaned, louder and louder, first clenching the pillow in his fists and then reaching up to the headboard. He wrapped his fingers around the bar, his knuckles turning white. Luke moved wildly beneath Reid, rubbing against the bunched-up pillow, trying to find some comfort or release._

_Reid dropped lower and lower. He kissed his way down Luke’s spine, sucked at the small of his back, ran his teeth along the swell of his ass. Then he brought his hands up, spreading Luke open and dipping his tongue into the crease, thrusting slowly in and out._

_“Ohgodohgodohgodohgod,” Luke chanted, burying his face in his pillow to muffle the sounds of his pleasure. He bent one knee up, opening himself further for Reid. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to push back against Reid’s face, forcing him deeper, or stay in contact with the pillow beneath him, rutting into the indentation he had already made, and so he alternated between the two, rocking back and forth and back and forth._

_Reid let his hand wander, first soothing the tension in the muscles of Luke’s thigh, then forcing his way between their bodies to find Luke’s balls. He cupped them, rolled them in his palm, squeezed lightly. Then he moved slightly back, tracing the tip of his finger carefully across the area just in front of where his lips and chin were touching Luke’s hot skin. He tickled, and he pressed firmly, and Luke’s entire body convulsed._

_“Fuuuuuck,” Luke moaned, coming hard._

_Reid pulled back, refusing to wait for Luke to calm down. Instead he ripped open the packet of lube with his teeth and drizzled some all over his fingers. Within seconds, two fingers were inside Luke, deeper than he could reach with his tongue, moving in and out. Perhaps Reid was going faster than he should have been, but it was starting to become a race against the inevitable for him. And Luke didn’t seem to be complaining, unless one considered gasps and groans and thrashing against the mattress complaining._

_Reid couldn’t wait any longer. He removed his fingers and, remembering his promise to Luke, helped the other man flip to his back. Luke opened his eyes and looked up at Reid, his mouth hanging open as he panted. Reid shook his head quickly, unable to deal with the sight in front of him, and then dropped down to meet Luke in a passionate kiss._

_He broke the kiss almost immediately though, focusing instead on finding the condom (it was at the foot of the bed) and trying to open it (the lube on his hand wasn’t helping). Luke groaned, ripping it away from him and tearing the packet open. He sat up, leaning closer to roll the condom over Reid’s cock. His warm hands moving down and around Reid’s shaft were almost too much, and Reid closed his eyes. He fisted the sheets in his hand, lifting his hips slightly in a premature thrust. Luke grabbed Reid’s other hand and forced it to his erection, using the last of the lube on Reid’s fingers to slick his cock._

_And then Luke fell to his back again, and Reid was inside him, and they were moving together faster and faster and faster. Reid panted, reaching one hand to Luke’s hair, tracing his thumb against the skin next to Luke’s eye. Luke stared up at him, biting his lip with every thrust._

_“You’re so tight,” Reid breathed out._

_Luke grinned, raising an eyebrow. He then squeezed around Reid, making the channel even narrower. Reid swore soundlessly, dropping his forehead to Luke’s as he came. He didn’t move for a long time; he simply rested on top of Luke and silently accepted his caresses, his harsh breaths hitting the side of Luke’s neck._

_“Wow,” Reid finally whispered._

_“Yeah,” Luke agreed._


	14. Chapter 14

If Luke had been asleep, the buzzing phone would not have woken him up. But he wasn’t asleep. Luke was pretty sure he wasn’t going to sleep at all that night. He rolled over, fumbling until he found his phone.

_Is it bad luck if we text each other the night before?_

Luke smiled. _I don’t think so. How was your night?_

_Katie’s idea of best bachelor party ever and my idea are two very different things. That’s all I’m going to say about that._

_Did you drink?_

_A little. I’m not drunk._

_Were there strippers?_

_HA! I wish. How was your night?_

_There were strippers._

_…Really?_

Luke laughed out loud, then quickly put a hand to his mouth. He listened carefully for any sounds, but it appeared as if he hadn’t woken up his grandma.

_I can’t tell if you’re jealous because of me watching men getting naked or because you didn’t get to do the same._

_It’s a little of both._

_Will spilled his drink over Casey, who had to change his shirt. That’s it._

_Oooh, now I’m really jealous._

Luke narrowed his eyes. _You like Casey?_

_I like him without his shirt on._

_You realize you’re saying this to me the night before our wedding?_

_I like you without your shirt on too._

Luke snickered. _You’re not so bad yourself._

_Ben’s with Lily and Holden, right?_

_Yep, they’re on kid duty so I can get ready tomorrow without many distractions._

_And you’re at the farm, just you and Emma who can sleep through anything?_

_What exactly are you fishing for here, Reid?_

_I think kids these days call it sexting._

Luke covered his mouth as he laughed silently. _Actually, I don’t think they do, but you’re old so you can’t keep up with the latest slang._

_What’s it called then, smartass?_

_…um…_

_Now who’s old?_

_If this is our dirty text talk, we’re kind of bad at it._

_Tell me about it._

_Besides, I don’t think we should. I think we should hold off for one night. To make tomorrow special._

There was a long pause. _Yeah, OK. Fine._

_You’re OK waiting?_

_I’ll live._

Luke stared at his phone for a few minutes, running his thumb over the picture of Reid on the screen. A small smile came to his lips. Just as he was about to text Reid, a message came through.

_We’re getting married tomorrow._

Luke grinned. _I was just thinking the same thing._

_Cold feet?_

_Nowhere near. You?_

_My toes are nice and toasty._

_I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you_ , Luke confessed.

After a short pause, Reid replied. _XOXO Go to sleep, sap._

**

It had been a hard-fought battle, but Luke and Reid had eventually won. They conceded the dinner and reception to Lucinda and were kind of afraid of how overboard she may have gone. But they kept the actual ceremony how they wanted it. They stood in the corner of the judge’s office, waiting for everything to begin. Ben stood between them, wrapped around Luke’s legs. Lily, Holden, Emma, Lucinda, Casey and all of Luke’s siblings were there. So were Bob, Kim, Katie, Chris and Jacob. And that was it. Not that many people, although it seemed like a lot more when they were all crowded into the small chambers.

“Everyone ready?” the judge asked as she walked into the room.

Luke looked over at her, then back at Reid, who gave him a small smile.

“Yes. Yeah,” Luke said, exhaling sharply.

Reid had thought Luke might want to write their own vows, considering his obsession with writing and his romantic nature. But Luke had declined; he said he wouldn’t be able to find the words to describe how he really felt, and he wouldn’t be able to write anything that meant more than the official vows they could finally, legally say. And besides, Luke had said, he knew Reid would die if he had to reveal his personal feelings in his own words in front of people. Reid had kissed him stupid after that – it was the nicest wedding gift he could hope for.

And so they stood in the center of the room, and they repeated the words the judge read. They put rings on each other’s fingers, and they smirked at the sound of quiet sniffles coming from around the room. When it was time, Reid cupped Luke’s face in his palms, much like he did during their very first kiss, and he pressed his lips to Luke’s mouth. People clapped and cheered; they fell away from each other, turning to the others in the room. Casey and Katie followed the judge to the desk to sign the license. And amidst all the talking and celebrating, Ben tugged on Luke’s pants.

Luke bent down, listening to the little boy as he whispered in his ear. A grin came to Luke’s face as he was brought back to the real world. He stood up and took Ben’s hand. Turning to Reid, he laughed lightly.

“We’ll be right back. Ben has to go potty.”

**

Luke collapsed into the chair next to Maddie, sprawling out across the surface of the table.

“Having fun?” Maddie asked with a smile.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted. Want me to take over?” Luke asked, nodding at Ben who was camped out in Maddie’s lap and sound asleep.

“No, I got him. It’s a nice excuse to get out of dancing for a while. These heels are killing me.”

Luke bent around the table and Maddie lifted her foot to show off her shoes.

“That’s a good two-and-a-half inches, Maddie.”

“It hurts to be beautiful.”

Luke shook his head. The two old friends were quiet for a few minutes as they looked around the room. Casey and Chris were having what could only be a ridiculous debate in the corner by the bar. Katie was chasing after Jacob, who was hyped up on sugar. And Reid and Lucinda were dancing, with Reid bending down as Lucinda talked in his ear. Luke couldn’t tell if his grandmother was threatening his husband ( _his husband_ ) or if they were plotting something that Luke didn’t want to know about.

“I’ve been wondering,” Maddie said, breaking the silence, “what…he would have had to say about all this.”

Luke smiled sadly, shrugging.

“Probably ‘are you insane?!’” Maddie continued.

“No,” Luke said, shaking his head with a fond chuckle. “No, I don’t think so. I think he would have said ‘it’s about damn time.’ And then he and Reid would have done their little macho bullshit for a while, trying to trick everyone into believing they still hated each other.”

Maddie tilted her head back as she laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. You always knew him better than anyone else, and I think you’re right. He would have been really happy for you.” Maddie made a small, choked sound as she looked down at the boy in her lap. She ran a hand through his brown hair. “I miss him. We weren’t even all that close anymore when he…”

Luke nodded. “I know. I know. Something great happens, or something crazy-weird, and my mental plan is still _call Reid, then call Noah_. I’ve been thinking a lot about him lately, as we planned this thing. Remembering that for the longest time, the only person I could ever imagine marrying was him. It all worked out for the best, obviously, and we all knew it. But…I do miss him. And as Ben gets older, I see these things in him – these movements and mannerisms that are so, _so_ Noah, and – ”

Luke broke off, shaking his head as he stared at his clasped hands.

“God, listen to us,” Maddie said, forcing a smile to her face. “This is supposed to be a celebration. I’m sorry.”

Luke smiled at her. He reached a hand out, placing his warm palm over the backs of her fingers. Just as he was about to reply, someone came up behind him.

“Wanna dance?” Reid growled in his ear. Luke shivered.

He glanced over his shoulder at his husband ( _his husband_ ) and then back at Maddie.

“Go, go already,” she said.

Luke allowed Reid to pull him out of the chair and out to the center of the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around Reid, one hand at the nape of his neck and the other squeezing Reid’s upper arm. Reid pulled him close, and Luke sighed, bending his head so their foreheads were touching. They didn’t talk for several beats, and when Reid did say something, it wasn’t what Luke was expecting.

“I’m sorry about the trip,” Reid said softly.

“We’ve been over this,” Luke said, for what felt like the hundredth time. “It’s not a good time right now. You and Chris have to deal with the lawsuit against the hospital, and Ben’s got pre-school. It can wait – it’s about a marriage, not a wedding. Remember?”

“Maddie OK?” Reid asked, clearly deciding to change the subject rather than acknowledge the nagging feeling that he was disappointing Luke despite his protests to the contrary.

Luke let him, although the new topic would be equally awkward. “Mm-hmm. We were just…we were talking about…”

“Noah.”

“Yeah.”

Reid remained quiet for a beat, barely nodding his head. “I _actually_ wish he were here,” Reid observed with a wry chuckle. “If for no other reason than to rub it in his face.”

Luke rolled his eyes, grinning knowingly.

“And at the same time, if he were…” Reid continued, his mood suddenly changed.

After a pause, Luke finished his sentence for him, “Who says _we_ would have been here, if these last few years had been different? We probably wouldn’t have our lives as we know them. We wouldn’t – wouldn’t have Ben.”

“Yeah. Yeah, God. That sounds awful.”

“It is what it is. For all the times I wish him back, both of them back, safe and healthy and happy, there are times when I – I look at Ben and…”

Reid nodded. He looked up, suddenly realizing they were still dancing slowly in each other’s arms even though the song had changed to something more upbeat. Reid stepped back from Luke, smiling as he spun him away. Luke’s resulting grin transformed into a laugh as he turned around underneath Reid’s arm and then felt himself pulled back to Reid’s chest. Reid sighed as he held Luke close again, ignoring the music. He dipped his head so they were dancing cheek-to-cheek.

“I love our lives,” he said. “I love our family. And I love you.”

“I love you more,” Luke murmured.

“Wanna bet?”

**

A few months later, Reid came home to a packed suitcase sitting by the front door. He closed the door softly behind him and stared apprehensively at the luggage. Luke walked into the room, thanking someone on the phone. He hung up and focused on Reid.

“Oh good, you’re home.”

“Are you leaving me?” Reid asked, suddenly incredibly nervous.

“What?!” Luke stared at him. “No! Why would you ask that?”

Reid nodded in the direction of the suitcase, and Luke burst into laughter.

“Only _you_ would immediately assume that a suitcase means a break-up.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“I realized today that the most exciting thing to happen to me in the last two weeks was Ben learning the alphabet song. And while obviously that’s fantastic and our son is a genius, I need…grown-up time. You promised me a honeymoon; we’re going on a honeymoon.”

Reid looked apologetic. “I can’t go right now.”

Luke shook his head. “Yes, you can. I cleared it with Katie.”

Reid laughed, stepping further into the room. “OK, but my co-chief of staff is actually Chris. Luke, I’m sorry, but I can’t drop everything just like that.”

“Much like I’m really the boss of you,” Luke countered, ignoring Reid’s look of shock at the claim, “Katie is really the boss of Chris. He’s already confirmed you have no scheduled surgeries and that your hand-picked top-rate neurology staff can handle anything that may arise. Your vacation time is approved, it will only be a long weekend, and I promise it will be worth your while.”

Reid wavered. “Ben?”

“Anna’s coming in for the weekend, and she’s staying with my parents. It’s gonna be nonstop grandparent time for him. He won’t even notice we’re gone.”

Reid started to smile, his eyes narrowing slightly as he fought against giving in. Luke pulled out the big guns. “I can’t believe it’s taking so much effort to convince you to go away with me for a weekend of sex.”

“I’m in,” Reid said immediately.


	15. Chapter 15

From the moment the door closed behind them, Luke and Reid had been naked and in bed (or against any other flat surface in the room). The activities were only broken by room service deliveries, quick and recuperative naps, and occasional trips to the bathroom. Reid had laughed uproariously when he found out that Luke booked not only the honeymoon suite but the rooms surrounding it, as well as the ones above and below it. He stopped laughing when Luke explained that, for years now, they had to be quiet and quick. But with Ben starting school full-time soon, they could return to late mornings and ridiculously long lunch breaks, if nothing else. They just needed to remember how to do that – how to scream, how to risk breaking furniture, and how to make their time together last for hours instead of the few quick moments before everything else demanded their attention.

And so they set about reminding themselves – on the bed, on the little table, against the wall, in the chair, coiled around each other in the shower, even on the deck overlooking the city (much to Luke’s nervous worry). Reid’s throat was raw from yelling, and his body was wrung out from the strenuous exercise it had received the last 29 hours. And he was feeling kind of bad for the poor housekeeper who would have to clean this room. But none of that was enough to stop Reid – or Luke. They were in bed again, too worn out for anything truly athletic but unwilling to waste their time together.

Reid lay on his side, with Luke spooned up close behind him. Luke was buried deep, deep, _deep_ , barely rocking his hips as he pressed inside Reid. Reid sighed, eyes closed, as he half-turned, seeking Luke’s lips. They kissed as Luke’s hand wandered across Reid’s body. First, it was wrapped loosely around Reid’s neck, his palm resting against Reid's throat and his fingers grazing Reid’s jawline, holding him in place. Then he scratched his fingernails down Reid’s chest, pausing to squeeze lightly at a pec. He rubbed firmly at Reid’s lower stomach before moving down further, jacking Reid at the same pace as his slow, lazy thrusts.

Reid moaned unintelligibly and Luke grinned. He twisted his hand sharply on the upstroke, flicking his thumb over the tip of Reid’s cock. Reid came, breath shuddering as he groaned into the pillow. Luke sped his own movements, pushing against Reid to roll him onto his stomach. He withdrew more, increasing the force behind his thrusts, pounding Reid’s overly-sensitive flesh into the mattress again and again. Reid reached one arm blindly behind him, grabbing onto the back of Luke’s head for a moment before dropping his hand to the bed again. Finding reserves of strength, Reid heaved himself up, pushing himself to his elbows and knees even while dropping his head into the pillow. Luke adjusted his own position, straightening as he gripped Reid’s hips and hammered into him. Reid’s broken shouts, muffled by the pillow, destroyed the last of Luke’s resolve. He came, screaming silently, before collapsing onto Reid’s back. Both men fell to the mattress, panting with exertion and pleasure.

Finally, Luke rolled off Reid, landing on his back. He twisted his head to the side and waited for Reid to turn to him. When they made eye contact, Luke smiled, tired and happy. Reid pressed his lips together and swallowed, love radiating from his gaze.

“I love you,” Luke whispered.

Reid reached out, his fingers finding Luke’s. Luke tightened his grip, entwining their fingers. Their rings clacked together, the sound barely audible, and Luke’s hold loosened only when he joined Reid in sleep.

**

Reid walked out of the shower, wrapping a towel low around his waist. Luke was sitting at the small table, uneaten room service in front of him as he talked on the phone.

“Sure there aren’t any problems?” After a pause, Luke added, “OK, well, just call us if you need anything. And tell him we’ll be home soon. Thanks, Dad. Yep, you too. Bye.”

Reid sat down, pulling a breakfast tray closer to him. “Everything OK?” he asked once Luke hung up the cell.

Luke nodded. “Yeah, he’s having a great time playing with Uncle Ethan. And Anna’s spoiling him rotten. Barely even notices we’re gone, I guess.”

Reid flashed a smirk in Luke’s direction.

“ _What?_ ”

Reid shrugged. “Nothing, Mr. I-Need-Grown-Up-Time. I just think this separation is harder on you than him. Apparently, unbridled sex with me pales in comparison to fingerpainting, after all.”

“ _You’re_ the one that told me to call while you were in the shower.”

“So?”

Luke glared at him half-heartedly, and Reid sighed. They were quiet for a few minutes.

“You know,” Luke carefully suggested, “just because the room is paid up through Monday, it doesn’t mean we have to stay that long.”

“The rooms, you mean,” Reid clarified, grinning wickedly.

“Shut up. And we’re definitely going to still be able to make up for lost time, once Ben starts school.”

“Mm-hmm. Besides, I’m getting old. I don’t know if I can survive another day of this. Although it’d be a hell of a way to go.”

“Don’t even joke about things like that,” Luke reprimanded. Reid winked at him. “So...” Luke trailed off.

“Quit the sexcapades early, pack up and go take our kid away from his fun weekend, just because we miss him?”

Luke nodded quickly.

“What’s happened to us?” Reid asked rhetorically.

**

_Luke rapped on the door softly. Noah looked up, smiled quickly, and then focused back on the sleeping newborn in his arms. Luke walked over, pulling the other visitor chair closer and sitting next to him._

_“Where’s Cal?” he asked quietly._

_“Checking on Marie. They’ll probably release her tomorrow. Reid?”_

_“Calling my mom with the info.”_

_“It’s 3 in the morning in Illinois,” Noah pointed out._

_Luke shrugged. “Mom said she wanted to know right away. Reid wouldn’t pass up the chance to annoy her.”_

_Noah laughed. “They’re still doing that kind of thing, huh? I would have thought they’d have made peace with each other by now.”_

_Luke fought a smile. “I think they get too much enjoyment out of antagonizing each other. They’re kind of like you two, you know? Everyone knows they really like each other, but they’re not going to pass up the opportunity to needle each other anyway.”_

_“There you’re wrong,” Noah said. “It’s not an act with us. We really do dislike each other.”_

_“OK,” Luke said disbelievingly, and Noah flashed him a smile._

_“Why are we talking about this anyway?” Luke continued. “We should be talking about this little guy right here. Noah, you’re a father.”_

_Noah shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I really can’t.”_

_“I’m so happy for you. I think you’re going to be brilliant at it.”_

_Noah glanced over at Luke, a large smile on his face. “I hope so.” After a short pause, he cleared his throat. “It’s…it’s weird, isn’t it? Being here like this?”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_Noah shrugged. “It’s hard to – just…the two of us here, in a hospital room. I’m holding my kid, and you’re not his other dad. The men we love are somewhere in this building, while you’re the best friend I could ever want but nothing more. Who would have thought we’d end up like this?”_

_Luke nodded slowly. “Not how I pictured our future a few years ago.”_

_“Me neither,” Noah said. He looked back at the baby. “I don’t have any regrets, though.”_

_Luke sighed. “No, not really. I regret hurting you. I regret that it took us so long to figure out it wasn’t working. But I can’t regret anything else. We’re both happy. We’re both better off, the way things are. But you are always going to be so damned important to me, I can’t even tell you.”_

_Noah nodded. “Same here.” He looked up at Luke earnestly. “Which is why we want you to be his godfather.”_

_“Really?” Luke asked, surprised and touched._

_“Really,” Noah confirmed, laughing lightly._

**

Luke unlocked the front door, leading Reid into the dark house. Reid walked straight through the living room, down the hall and into Ben’s bedroom. He bent slightly, depositing the sleeping boy in his arms onto the mattress. Reid carefully pulled off his shoes and jeans, deciding the rest of his outfit could serve as pajamas. Then he tucked the covers around Ben and went to find his husband.

Luke stood in the kitchen, Ben’s backpack in front of him, half-unpacked. Luke was staring at a piece of paper in his hands. Reid walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around Luke’s waist and kissing his shoulder.

“’s good to be home,” he murmured.

“What? Yeah,” Luke replied, clearly distracted.

“What are you looking at?” Reid asked.

Luke cleared his throat, then turned the page slightly so Reid could see. There was a stick-figure drawing of little Ben, with Reid and Luke, identifiable really only by their hair colors, standing on either side of him. And in the top corner, sitting on some puffy clouds, two figures with dark hair smiled down at the three of them.

“God,” Luke muttered. “God.”

Reid pointed to the bottom, where Ben had carefully written his initials, BLM, and after that, he had apparently been testing other combinations with S and O. Reid inhaled shakily.

“We said we’d let him decide someday, if he wanted to change it at all,” Luke pointed out.

“Yeah,” Reid said softly. “But is it too early? Can he really decide that? Can he know what it means to change his name?”

“I don’t know. But I do know that, no matter what, they’re going to be important to him, even if he doesn’t stay Mayer. If he wants to change it, we should do it before the school year starts.”

Reid nodded. “We’ll sit down and talk to him in the morning.”

Luke sighed. He reached down, finding Reid’s hand and holding it tight. They stood silently for several minutes, staring at Ben’s family portrait. Then Luke stepped away, walking to the fridge and adding the picture to the growing collection of artistic masterpieces. He turned back to Reid, wrapping his arms around Reid’s waist once he was close enough.

“Come on,” he whispered. “Our honeymoon technically isn’t over yet.”

The End


End file.
